A Matchmaker and a Pirate
by Mystic Lady Fae
Summary: Matchmaker Evianna Watkins can find a match for anyone: rich, poor, ugly, or handsome, she can find them a spouse. Then Captain Jack Sparrow comes along, wanting an ideal pirate-wife, and Evie suddenly has her work cut out for her. Jack/OC
1. What's a Pirate To Do?

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own anything related to _**Pirates of the Caribbean**_. Well, except a Jack Sparrow poster, but that's pretty much it. Only original creations (characters, places, etc) are mine.

AN: Here's my new story, starring our beloved Captain Jack! Please note that, in this universe, _**Pirates**_ _**2**_ and _**3**_ never happened, which makes it easier on me to obey the funny voices directing this story in my head (wink). Enjoy, and please review!

**Chapter 1: What's a Pirate To Do?**

"Face it, Jack," Gibbs said, handing him a cold damp cloth. "You've lost your touch."

Pressing the rag to his cheek, Jack glared at him. "If you value your pay, Gibbs, you'll not say that again."

Given the circumstances, however, Jack had to somewhat agree with his first mate (though he'd never admit it aloud).

As it was, Gibbs chuckled and fetched a bottle of rum, which he pressed into his captain's other palm. Jack winced as he removed the cloth and took a deep drink, hoping the alcohol would soon numb the sting that still lingered in his cheek. He was lucky the fellow had been thoroughly drunk and only managed to clip his face, otherwise he'd be missing a few teeth rather than bearing a bruised cheek (and matching ego).

"You should have known the lass had a man somewhere," Gibbs proceeded to lecture him. "A girl that pretty in a town like Tortuga _always_ has a man or two up her sleeve, whether you see her with them or not."

Jack took one last gulp of rum and set the bottle down onto the table. "Aye, but I'd have thought that the man would be entertaining himself elsewhere. Besides, she was willing enough, wasn't she?"

Gibbs shook his head. "You've never had good sense when it came to women, Jack, especially when it came to your nightly acquaintances." He eyed his friend carefully as he turned to leave. "Perhaps it's time for you to finally settle down with _one_ woman –at least that way you'll be able to have company with you every night for sure."

As the cabin door shut behind his first mate, Jack's eyes narrowed in thought. Settle down? Captain Jack Sparrow? What a ridiculous idea! After all, he had a certain reputation to maintain, and how could he do that as a married man? And even if he did wed a woman who didn't care about him finding pleasure elsewhere, he would no doubt get another reputation, one that was far more unpleasant.

Though the women in Tortuga were known for their low moralities, some refused to bed men who were already married. There was the small bit of guilt the wenches would feel about being with another woman's man, but that was soon gotten over. No, what the wenches _really_ worried about was jealous wives searching for revenge, and in most cases, the wives usually won. Besides, fights caused wounds, and wounds left scars, which tended to hurt a wench's business, hence their caution.

Sighing, Jack took another drink from the bottle and stared at the wall. Lately, his efforts in wooing the ladies of the night had been rather unsuccessful, and he couldn't understand why. Was he, Jack Sparrow, losing his touch in these matters?

He shuddered in horror. If this was so, it could bode very badly for him. A pirate had needs, after all, and without the ability to fulfill those needs, Jack knew he was going to spend the rest of his days being very lonely indeed.

"I'm thinking that marriage might not be so bad," he muttered, looking into the depths of his rum bottle.

However, there was one small problem: Jack wasn't the sort to settle with one woman.

As a pirate, he wanted variety, adventure, and freedom. Marriage meant having only a single woman in his life, and he'd no doubts that she would forever be telling him what to do, where to go, and what he should be spending his hard-earned plunder on.

'_Even worse is the screaming and the throwing of objects when she's upset_,' he thought, cringing. Women were known to throw things when angry, and some of them had _very_ good aim.

There was the option of leaving his wife in a fine house on an island somewhere, but that would be inconvenient for a man in 'need,' particularly when he traveled around the world, not just the Caribbean. It could be months or even years between visits to his wife, and that was not an option.

No, Jack knew that he would have to keep his wife onboard the Pearl, and even then he wasn't sure if it would be worth it.

Taking another swig from his rum bottle, Jack decided to head to bed. There was a lot to consider, and that was best done after a good night's rest.

* * *

Unfortunately for Jack, his problems didn't dissipate with the arrival of the sun. He'd thought that waking up would make it all go away, but the idea of marriage lingered in the back of his mind as he rose, washed up, dressed, and went out to see how his beloved Pearl was doing.

The bright light of dawn promised a beautiful day. Stepping onto the empty deck, Jack took a deep breath, the scent of the sea almost causing him to forget his problem.

'Almost' being the key word.

If they had been at sea, he would put himself to work at doing his duties as captain. As they were presently in port and most of the men were still in town, there was nothing to distract him. And Jack was in desperate need of a distraction.

The sound of someone humming was a welcome one, and the sight of Gibbs emerging from the lower decks with a full bottle of rum was even better. Jack practically ran across the deck, snatching the bottle out of Gibbs' hand and popping the cork to take a swig.

Gibbs let off a curse, then sighed, knowing that he wasn't going to get his rum back. "Didn't have an easy night, did you, Jack?" he asked, giving his friend a concerned look. "Anything you'd like to talk about?"

Jack muttered a negative under his breath, but Gibbs merely sighed again and rolled his eyes. "Then let's head for breakfast at the Faithful Bride, aye?"

The entire walk into town was silent, but the minute they took a seat in the furthest corner of the Bride, mugs of rum in their hands, Jack let his frustrations out.

"I don't understand how this could have happened, Gibbs!" Jack snapped as a wench brought them eggs, bread, and some freshly cooked meat.

He waited until the girl was gone before going on. "I admit to having troubles before, but lately it seems to have gotten worse. What's a pirate supposed to do when he can't even win over a wench for a single night?"

His first mate took a bit of eggs, followed by some meat and a swig of his drink. When he'd swallowed his mouthful, Gibbs shook his head. "Why not do what I told you? Take a wife."

Jack almost gagged on his eggs. "Gibbs, I know that you know that I'm not the marrying kind. Variety is the spice of life, and being tied to one woman is the sort of thing that gets dull very quickly, especially for a pirate."

"Not if you found the right one," Gibbs hinted as he worked his way through his meal. "Besides, you aren't the only one who's in want of female company."

His fork hanging in midair, Jack looked long and hard at his first mate. "Explain," he ordered, putting down the eating utensil.

Gibbs polished off the last remains of his eggs, then settled back with his mug of rum. "Seems that a good number of the crew want more than what they can get with the local wenches. Some of the younger lads are dreaming of bonny young brides, and the older men want good wives to 'go home to' every once and a while. Most want to start families somewhere."

He took a swig from his cup. "Seems you've got more than just your own worries to take care of."

"Bloody hell," Jack huffed as he fell back in his seat. "So I have to find wives for crewmen now? How can I help my crew find women when _I_ can't find my own?"

"You could always look to a matchmaker," Gibbs hesitatingly suggested before taking another drink.

Jack snorted. "Please, Gibbs. If they are so skilled at finding mates for others, why can't they find a husband or wife for themselves?"

The other man nodded in acknowledgement of that fact, and went back to his rum. However, neither man _quite_ put the idea aside.

* * *

After leaving Jack to drown his worries in rum, Gibbs headed into the depths of Tortuga on his own. He had a feeling that a very skilled matchmaker could be the answer to not only Jack's problem, but to the bout of loneliness that had lately consumed the crew of the Black Pearl.

As fate would have it, Gibbs had met a man named Joseph Nelson. He was a rather young fellow, and he'd just arrived in Tortuga to open his own medicine shop. He was 'testing the waters,' he said, to see if his business venture would be a success or not. To his surprise, it had.

After being in the pirate haven for less than a month, the lad had already made quite a name for himself, particularly because his headache, nausea and stomach draughts were so effective. There were other brews and herbs he sold, but in a town like Tortuga, anything that could cure a head or stomach ailment was sure to make good business.

In fact, that was how Gibbs had met Joseph. After a questionable, off-tasting meal at a conveniently placed tavern, Gibbs had come down with a stomachache, and had stopped here for help. Joseph himself had concocted a medicine for the problem, and Gibbs had been perfectly fine by lunch the next morning.

Today, however, Gibbs needed something else entirely. He'd heard that Joseph had wed a rather plain girl named Hannah before coming to Tortuga, a girl whom he'd met through the hired skills of a matchmaker. Hopefully, Joseph would be able to provide a little help with the current situation on the Pearl.

Taking a deep breath, Gibbs entered the faintly lit shop.

"Mr. Gibbs!" Joseph greeted him from behind the counter. "Here for another remedy?"

"No, not today," the pirate replied. "I was wondering if you could help me with another kind of…situation."

Joseph looked puzzled, but nodded. "What can I do for you?"

"Well, it's not for me, exactly," Gibbs slowly drawled out. "It's for my Captain and some of my fellow crewmen. They're in sore need of wives, and I figured it was best done through the dealings of a matchmaker."

The shopkeeper laughed and shook his head. "Well, even if that's not my area of expertise, I can at least help you with that."

* * *

"You did _what_?" Jack yelled, angry and horrified.

Gibbs sighed. "It's not such a bad idea, Captain. The matchmaker Joseph went through is Miss Evianna Watkins, and she's from the English town of Port Thomas, here in the Caribbean. That's not more than a few days away from here, so what's the harm?"

What was the harm? Was the man joking? How would it look for Captain Jack Sparrow to hire a matchmaker? His reputation would be in tatters, and no woman would want to be seen with him again! _That_ was the harm.

"This is a nightmare," Jack muttered with a groan.

His first mate sighed again. "Jack, you know that it's time and past for some of the men to find lasses of their own. The older ones aren't getting any younger, and the young ones have thoughts of love in their heads. Let's go and find this matchmaker, if only for their sakes, and you can see if this Miss Watkins is as good as Joseph says she is. Who knows –she might even find a woman for you."

Jack felt himself give way. Thus far, he hadn't found a wife on his own, so why not let someone else do it for him? If she failed, he'd pay her fairly for her time; if she succeeded, Jack would give the woman half of his treasure, and owe her a lot more.

He sighed. "Alright, Gibbs. When the men are finished with their leave, we'll set sail."

* * *

AN: Short chapter, but the next one will be longer. Thanks for reading, and please review!


	2. Matchmaker

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own anything related to _**Pirates of the Caribbean**_. Well, except a Jack Sparrow poster, but that's pretty much it. Only original creations (characters, places, etc) are mine.

AN: Okay, the lead female in this story is named Evianna, pronounced Ev-ee-anna. Her nickname is Evie, pronounced Ev-ee. Thanks for reading, and please review!

**Chapter 2: Matchmaker:**

"Morning, Miss Watkins!" called a group of lads, all of them waving gleefully.

Holding back a sigh, I pasted on a smile and nodded at the men as I passed. Although I didn't mind people being friendly, it was irritating to be constantly interrupted and waved at during my shopping trips in town. Nevertheless, it was an unfortunate part of my job as a matchmaker, and one that I had grown to accept. After all, _everyone_ had to be on the good side of the one person who could pair them (or their children) with the ideal husband or wife.

Mine wasn't an unusual job, though it was certainly so for a woman below thirty years of age. Unfortunately, there were few options an unattached female could do in the way of work, and this one was what I'd chosen. I suppose I could have been a housekeeper, a maid, a seamstress, or a serving wench in a tavern, but those weren't the tasks for me. I wasn't good enough with a needle to earn my bread that way, and if there was one thing I, Evianna Watkins, refused to do, it was to serve as a wench, housekeeper, or as maid in a wealthy man's house! Tavern owners, rich men and their male servants tended to have wandering hands, and often tried to take liberties with the female staff members. I _would not_ reduce myself to that!

But here in the town of Port Thomas, I had taken the unusual job of official matchmaker for the unmarried souls of the town. And for all that I was twenty-six, which was young for someone in that position, I was very good at what I did.

* * *

I had been born here in Port Thomas, a moderate English town in the Caribbean where everyone knew everyone, either vaguely or intimately. My mother had been a seamstress until my father, a baker, had married her, and the two had gone into business together, providing a fairly good lifestyle for themselves and, eventually, their only child, me.

Now, as a female, I had been told that I would have to get married in order to have a good future. When I was fifteen, my parents began throwing me together with some of the local boys in the hopes that I would find someone who was suited enough to be my husband. They prayed that, after making my choice and being wooed for a year or two, I would marry and start a family of my own.

Unfortunately, things didn't quite work out the way my parents had expected. For one reason or another, I didn't 'take' to any of the young men I was introduced to, and in fact sent them all after other young girls around town.

Mama and Papa, of course, had been livid. After all, what kind of girl would do such a thing? It just wasn't _done_, and it certainly wasn't usual in any way. When they demanded an explanation, my answer was simple.

"I merely sent them off to girls who better suited them," I had said, looking them straight in the eye. "Joshua is too fond of food for my liking, so I sent him off after the Tanners girl, who is a fine cook and a dear heart. Thomas does nothing but babble on and on about his father's merchant business, so I sent him after Marguerite, who is the shrewdest, cleverest girl I know, since she can bargain at the market like no one else."

Exasperated, Mama had collapsed in a chair while Papa lectured me and told me never to do that again. Confident that they had made their point, my parents again started their crusade to marry me off.

And once again, I began turning my would-be suitors towards girls who I felt were better for them than I. There had been the tailor's son (who had been introduced to the quiet daughter of an embroiderer), the blacksmith's son (passed on to another blacksmith's daughter), and the hatter's boy (who had been gently guided into the arms of a ribbon seller's niece).

To the amazement of the boys' parents (and mine), each of my pairings had produced a happily suited couple that quickly led to marriage. Mama and Papa couldn't understand it, and demanded that I stop sending suitors elsewhere, declaring that I needed to concentrate on finding my own husband first before I could make matches for others.

But their words didn't make sense to me. If I married and _then_ tried to make matches, I would begin to see my husband in place of the other men, and the ladies in my own, which would prove disastrous. A good matchmaker aught to have a clear, unclouded view of her charges in order to make the best match possible. Besides, matchmakers made a good deal of money to bring men and women together, so why should I stop when I was so successful?

And I was successful. With a good half-dozen happy marriages under my belt, and at just sixteen, I was approached by numerous parents needing help in finding a husband or a wife for their child. Best of all, since I was quite familiar with the younger folk, I rarely had difficulties finding suitable mates for both boys and girls alike, and was well-compensated for my work.

There were, however, a few tricky sorts who made things a challenge. Some parents had sons or daughters who were unattractive, bad-tempered, or just plain mean, which was why it was so hard to find the right match for them.

Although I wasn't much of a romantic, per say, I very firmly believed that there was someone for everyone, and it was my job to see that my customers found that person. To accomplish this, I merely attempted to look a bit deeper into that person, and went in search of someone who "fit" them best. In the end, the mean-spirited ones were either matched with someone very much like them (which I tried to avoid as much as possible), or with a mate who was so patient and kind-hearted that the meanness eventually faded and left a relatively decent person behind.

The, um, 'unfortunate looking' customers were matched with either someone as 'unfortunate' as them, or someone who did not care about their spouse's looks. These pairings were the ones that I was most proud of, because the happiness on those faces made them truly beautiful, at least in my eyes.

But whatever the match was, I was rarely (if ever) wrong. Even if the burning romance in those marriages dimmed to a flicker or a glow, they at least remained content and marginally happy. Thus far, I had no one longing for a separation or a divorce, which was more than other matchmakers to say about their work.

As time went on and I turned nineteen, my parents gave up trying to find me a husband. They simply let me continue on the path I had chosen, with their grudgingly-given blessings. When I decided to use my savings to purchase a cottage of my own, they often came to visit and show their support.

"Know that we only did what we thought was best for you, Evie," Mother had said after one of our evenings together. "Even though you went against our wants, we still love you, darling."

* * *

Sighing, I tried to hold back tears. My mother and father had died several years ago of fever, and I never forgot what Mother had told me. It meant a great deal, knowing that they'd forgiven and loved me even after the path I had chosen.

Shaking my head to clear it, I walked towards a stall selling fruits and vegetables. A few apples, bananas, cabbages, and potatoes made their way into my basket, as well as a pineapple that would eventually be candied for later use.

"Oh, _there_ you are Evie!" cried a nasally voice behind me.

Knowing who it was, I bit back a groan and paid the stall owner, who gave me a look of sympathy before turning to help another customer. Straightening, I turned around.

Rosamond Jacobs was the youngest sister of one of my former suitors, and had just turned seventeen. Blonde-haired, blue-eyed, and slim, anyone would think she was never lacking for suitors of her own.

Sadly, the girl possessed a nose that would make an eagle proud -as a result, she had a voice that was slightly nasal and always high-pitched whenever she yelled or screamed in fright (which, thankfully, wasn't very often). Her face was otherwise pretty, but it was her nose that tended to send men running.

This was why, two weeks ago, Rosamond's parents had come to me to plead their daughter's case. They told me that Rosa, as they called her, was a fine girl who could cook, clean, sew, and tend the garden with no difficulty. She was also sweet, good-tempered, and would make the perfect wife for any man –they just couldn't understand why no one would look beyond the poor girl's nose and marry her.

Promising to do my best, I had been looking out for just the right fellow for Rosa. Needless to say, it had been very slow going, but it was starting to look rather promising lately.

"Evie, thank goodness I found you!" Rosamond said, smiling in relief as she approached. "I was wondering if you would mind telling me how it goes with my, um, _situation_?"

It was funny how women always referred to my efforts on their behalf a 'situation' –it always made them sound so polite and delicate.

I gave the young girl a genuine smile. To be quite honest, Rosa _was_ a very sweet girl –it was just her nose was something of a sight, and her voice a trifle annoying. Still, you could hardly blame the girl for that, now, could you?

"It's coming along quite well, actually," I replied, shifting my basket from one arm to the other. "I think I might have found someone for you, but I would need to speak to you about him, first."

Rosa's blue eyes lit up like a spring morning. "Oh, tell me now!" she cried, grabbing my arm. "Come home with me and tell it over tea!"

Since having tea, luncheon, or supper with my customers was a requirement for someone in my line of work (and it saved me a fortune in food stuffs), I accepted. Rosa took the basket from me and chatted all the way to her home, which stood barely a hundred steps away from where we had been standing. Once inside, my basket was set neatly aside while a serving girl brought out tea.

"Now, tell me all about the fellow you've found for me," Rosa said as she poured and handed me the cup.

I stirred a bit of cream and honey into my cup. "Well, I'm afraid the _young_ fellows are all rather shallow when it comes to outer beauty," I apologized. "I hope that doesn't lower your spirits any."

Rosa shook her head. "I'm not fond of anyone near my age anyway," she admitted.

"Good," I replied with a nod. "Because the man I found for you is rather close to your father's age."

I waved a hand to stop Rosa's protest. "He is rather decent looking, with graying hair, and good-hearted, if not cheery. He is a merchant, like your father, and is searching for a young wife to love and spoil, as well as to have children with." I paused. "He is also rather near-sighted."

Rosa burst out laughing. "Oh, Evie, only you could find a man with bad eyesight for a girl as hopeless looking as me!" she chortled. "Well, as long as he isn't cruel, doesn't possess warts or pox scars, and isn't violent, I shall be perfectly happy."

Sipping my tea, I tried not to breathe a sigh of relief. Master Henry Marks, merchant extraordinaire, was a new gentleman in Port Thomas, and knew no one in the town. However, having heard of me through local gossip, as well as my impeccable record, he had come to my house in the hopes of finding a wife. He admitted to being so focused on his company that he had neglected to try and find himself a bride, and begged for me to help him.

"With my poor eyesight going, it won't matter to me what the girl looks like, as long as she isn't hideous," he'd said. "All I want is a good, honest, sweet girl who would be happy to marry me and give me children. In all likelihood, I'll end up spoiling the lot of them, but as long as we're all content, that doesn't matter to me."

He was such a good fellow that it would have broken my heart if Rosa wouldn't have him.

After we had finished with tea, Rosa led me to the door and dropped a sack of coins into my palm and closed her fingers over them. "I don't know how you do it, Evie," she said. "You can make a match for any man or woman who comes to your door. Even if they are new in town or people just passing through, they come to you for help, and you can find them a husband or wife from either Port Thomas, or even on the ship they're traveling on. What's more, you're never wrong."

"Oh, never say that," I said, knocking on a nearby wood table to ward off bad luck. "I admit to not being one hundred percent right, though. Some of my matches were merely for people who were desperate to marry and thrilled just to have found a spouse. They aren't really _happy_, exactly, but they end up relatively content."

"But you aren't exactly _wrong_, either," Rosa stressed.

I laughed, and tucked the coins into my basket before swinging it onto my arm. "No, sometimes I border the line between the two. But I'm always happy when one of my matches works out in the end."

Rosa grasped my arm, a sad look on her soft face. "I'm just sorry you haven't found a match for you, Evie," she said as I waved farewell and she closed the door behind me.

Sighing, I headed for home, Rosa's words hovering in my ears. It was an old lament frequently sung about me amongst the women of the town. They thought it a pity that I had managed to marry off so many women, but never found someone for me. I knew there were rumors about me, whispers about my possibly detesting men, or that I preferred the company of other women more than men.

It was all nonsense, of course. I very much preferred men –it was just difficult to find the one who was right for me. I knew every marriageable man in Port Thomas, and none of them appealed to me. It was frustrating.

And because of my unmarried status, I was, technically, an "old maid." However, no one dared call me that to my face or within hearing range, not if they wanted to end up happily married themselves. Everyone knew you didn't upset the woman who could place you with the right husband or wife.

Knowing of the townswomen's pity still hurt, though. I sometimes found myself wondering if there was something wrong with me –after all, I had always turned away my admirers and pointed them in the direction of another woman.

'_But those women always made a far better match for them than I ever could_,' I reasoned as I made my way up my front steps.

Still, what if one of those men _had_ been right for me? Did I not have the right to find a husband?

'_But what good is a husband_?' I demanded to myself. '_I earn my own money, so I've no need of a man to support me. The only person I have to clean up after is me, not myself and another. All of the possessions in the house are my own, bought with my own funds_.'

I also had a many friends in town, so I wasn't really lonely…until I returned to an empty house, with no one waiting up for me. I didn't even have a cat or dog for company.

'_On the other hand, I don't have to share my lovely bed with anyone_.' Of course, there was a downside to that, too…

Sighing, I slipped into the house and locked the door. It was time to start supper.

* * *

AN: Review?


	3. First Impressions

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own anything related to _**Pirates of the Caribbean**_. Well, except a Jack Sparrow poster, but that's pretty much it. Only original creations (characters, places, etc) are mine.

AN: Here's where Jack and Evie meet, though it's not what Jack expected. Thanks for reading, and please review!

**Chapter 3: First Impressions:**

For most sailors, the journey to Port Thomas would have seemed short and uneventful. For Jack Sparrow, however, the trip had been long and grueling.

During the voyage, his mind had been filled with dread and worry about finding the matchmaker, and that had made him rather bad-tempered. His crew had quickly sensed his mood, and learned to avoid him whenever possible –they only came to him on important matters, and immediately left once their problems were solved.

"Jack, you have to relax," Gibbs had chided him once. "You're making the crew nervous, and nervous men make mistakes. We can't afford to have mistakes on a ship."

Well, he couldn't relax, not when his bachelor days were numbered. If this matchmaker was half as good as Gibbs said, then he was in trouble. There was always the hope that she wasn't, but he had to be prepared for anything.

When they finally arrived at the island where Port Thomas sat, he decided to dock in the town itself. Jack knew that a pirate ship wouldn't be accepted at such an upright town, but it was possible they wouldn't recognize the Pearl for what it was, so he decided to risk it. He would then send a group of men to restock the ship while he went in search of Miss Watkins.

He doubted that the woman would be hard to miss. This wouldn't be the first time Jack had met a matchmaker, so he was familiar with their appearances and their reputations.

In Jack's experience, female matchmakers tended to be stiff, calculating, greedy old women who had never married themselves, but who were somehow able to find mates for those incapable of doing so themselves, especially the less-attractive folk. In most cases, the couples ended up relatively content, though generally not in love with their spouse, which was probably more than some people could hope for.

In Jack's case, he thought love a fine thing, but if this matchmaker could find him a wife who was tolerable to look at, talk with, and spend time together with, it would be a miracle. He didn't want a woman who nagged all the time, or who had an annoying voice. He couldn't abide warts, scars, or unbearable traits on her face or body. She needed to have a good number of teeth, too, preferably all of them.

But most importantly, she had to be intelligent. Jack couldn't abide stupid women who babbled on about tea, the weather, or dresses all day long, or ones who couldn't tell one end of a ship from the other. He wanted a woman he could talk to _without_ getting the urge to knock his head against the wall two minutes after the lass opened her mouth.

When the Pearl finally weighed anchor, Jack led his first mate and a group of men towards town, while leaving Anna-Maria in charge of the Pearl. As they neared the marketplace, he handed Gibbs a small money pouch.

"Go buy whatever it is we need most," Jack ordered while looking around. "I'm going to have a chat with some of the locals about the personage we're looking for."

Gibbs gave him an amused glance, but said nothing as he led the men towards the bustling stalls. Meanwhile, Jack took a deep breath and headed for the nearest tavern.

* * *

It is a fact well-known that, other than a wealthy lady's parlor, the best place to find gossip is in the local tavern.

Settled in a corner table, Jack ordered a mug of rum and some lunch, his ears open as he consumed both. On his second round of rum, he motioned for the tavern's owner to join him, which he did.

"Something you need, sailor?" the owner asked as a serving wench set a tankard on the table for him.

"Aye," Jack replied, leaning forward. "What can you tell me about Miss Evianna Watkins?"

The tavern owner smiled. "Ah, looking for a woman, are you? Well, Miss Watkins is the best you'll find anywhere."

The list and tales of successful matches told to him astonished even Jack –he'd never heard of a matchmaker who had such marvelous luck when it came to their line of work. Some were good at what they did, others were complete failures, but no one could make that many successful pairings in their lifetime. Was the woman a witch as well as a matchmaker?

Well, if the stories _were_ true, then perhaps Jack would get his money's worth after all. He might even get a woman he liked spending time with outside of the bedroom!

After obtaining the woman's address, Jack thanked the tavern owner for his help, and proceeded to finish his meal before heading out into the streets.

* * *

The cottage of Miss Watkins was small, but in a good part of town. It stood bordering the working-class, where most of her clients were no doubt from, and the merchant-class, which probably made up the remaining part of her business. The nobles and well-to-do had their own ways of getting their children to wed, so they were probably not interested in Miss Watkins' services.

It was a quaint home, with whitewashed walls and a wood roof. A wood fence surrounded the tiny property, and there was a single rose vine creeping up each side of the house, adding a touch of color to the outside. Jack admired the simplicity of the place, though he wondered what the old biddy had _inside_ the home. Sometimes, those with houses that seemed neat on the outside actually had horrible messes (or worse, a dozen cats) on the inside. Sometimes they had a dog, which was worse.

Holding back a shudder, Jack slipped through the gate and approached the door, bracing himself for the withered or bitter face that always came with a female matchmaker. Taking a deep breath, he knocked. There was the sound of quiet footsteps approaching, and the latch being undone. Pasting on a smile, Jack tucked his thumbs into his sash and tried to determine how to charm the old bat into assisting him with his situation.

The door opened, and to Jack's surprise, a young woman in her mid- to late-twenties stood there. She was rather pretty, with long brown hair done into a braided crown atop her head, a delicate pink mouth to match the softness of her face, and deep brown eyes that looked up at him in puzzlement. The only thing keeping her face from being perfectly sweet and innocent-looking was a stubborn chin and the glitter of suspicion now forming in her eyes.

"Can I help you?" she asked warily.

Figuring that she was the maid, Jack tipped his hat at her. "Afternoon, Miss," he said, all politeness. "Is your mistress at home?"

The woman stared at him at moment. "Mistress?" she asked, clearly surprised.

"Aye, Miss Watkins," Jack replied. "Would you mind telling her that I've need of her services?"

She actually chuckled. "Oh, you must be new in town. I thought so, since I've never seen you before, and if I had, I'd remember. Well, I'll introduce myself. I'm Evianna Watkins, but you can call me Evie."

Jack felt his jaw drop.

* * *

I never tired of seeing men new to Port Thomas have that reaction –they always thought a matchmaker had to be old, bitter, and wanting money. It was fun seeing them get all flustered and surprised when they met me for the first time.

"So, you're in the market for a wife?" I asked the stranger, eyes studying him carefully.

I hadn't been joking when I'd said that I would have remembered him if we'd met before. The man standing on my doorstep had to be the most curious fellow I'd ever seen, and I had seen many strangers in Port Thomas in my life.

This one had to be a sailor, and a captain of a ship, if his hat and coat were any indication of who he was. Of course, some people dressed erratically, and the coat and hat might have been something he bought at a used garment shop. Eyeing him further, I took in the beaded dreadlocks, the twin beaded strands in his beard, the red-and-white striped sash, and the various odd knick-knacks that dangled from a brown leather belt wrapped around his waist. There were also several rings on each finger, each as unique as he was. It was a rather eccentric ensemble, but it did him justice.

He was also very handsome, almost beautiful, in fact. He had a perfect nose, high cheekbones, and a rather dashing, roguish smile. His dark hair and eyes, which were lined with kohl, only made him more appealing.

'_Oh, yes, __**him**__ I would have remembered meeting before_,' I thought, hiding a smile.

The man snapped back to himself, then seemed to remember that I'd asked him a question. "Oh, yes, a wife," he said, blinking rapidly. "My name is John Teague."

I took the hand he offered and shook it. "Well, Mr. Teague, let's discuss business, shall we? We can either have tea here, or go for a quiet walk along the beach. I suggest the beach, since we'll be less likely to be interrupted. I'm a much sought-after person in Port Thomas, and I think a bit of peace and quiet are in order to discuss business."

* * *

As she led him to the beach, Jack began to wonder what he'd just gotten himself into. He hadn't expected Miss Watkins to be attractive, nor young, and yet here she was, walking beside him with all the trust in the world. Of course, he hadn't exactly told her the truth about who he was, or what he did for a living.

That was why he had given her a different name rather than his own; he was fairly sure someone would recognize it and inform the authorities of his presence in town, and the last thing he wanted was the Royal Navy on his heels! Of course, they might be after they discovered the outcome of Jack's new plan in regards to the matter at hand. Though why he'd chosen his father's name was beyond him…

In any case, since it would be impossible for any matchmaker to find a mate for each of his crewmen in this small town, Jack had formed the idea of taking Miss Watkins (or Evie, as she asked him to call her) with them on the Pearl when they left port. That way, every crewman who wanted a wife could find one, and after that was done, everyone would have what they wanted: he and his crewmen would have their women (or man, in Anna-Maria's case), and Evie would be given a sum equal to the work she'd done.

"I first wanted to discuss my fee with you first, Mr. Teague," she was saying, bringing Jack back to the task at hand.

Jack waved a dismissive hand at her. "No need, luv," he said. "I ought to tell you that I sail on a large ship, and quite a few of my crewmates are in need of wives themselves. Therefore, you won't just be working for me, but for them as well. As such, we're willing to pay you your weight in gold to find each of us the woman of our dreams."

He couldn't help but smile at her gape-mouth reaction.

* * *

I couldn't help but stare at him in shock. They were going to pay me my weight in gold for my services? My mind spun from what I could do with all that money.

'_I could leave Port Thomas, for one thing_.'

Oh, that was a tempting thought. I was beginning to get tired of all the sympathetic looks from the townswomen, all of them wondering when I, the town matchmaker, would get married and have a family of my own. I was also becoming annoyed with a few of the unmarried men trying to snatch me up for themselves, knowing that they probably wanted the money I had earned more than they wanted me.

I looked out at the sparkling blue ocean. '_I want to find my own happiness, and I don't think I'll find it here_.'

Matchmaking was all well and good, and I did enjoy doing it, but I wanted to live for myself for once. I wanted to stop having to think of everyone else's joys and actually find my own as an independent woman, namely someplace where people didn't ask why I hadn't found a husband of my own. The money this man was offering was tempting.

'_But what if it's a lie_?' the practical side of my mind wondered, bringing me back to reality. '_What if they don't pay me as much as they promised_?'

Well, if it was, I could still make a tidy sum off of this particular incident. If so many of Mr. Teague's fellow sailors were willing to take wives, then with the amount I charged for each man, I would still walk away with a very nice profit indeed. It might even be enough to leave this life behind and go find another.

However, the problem was _finding_ the future brides.

I looked over at my newest client. "I'm going to be perfectly honest with you, Mr. Teague. I could help find wives for you and your crewmen, but it won't be easy. Port Thomas is a small town, and while some women might like being a sailor's wife, most probably won't. You should prepare yourselves for some disappointments."

Again, he waved my words aside. "I've full faith in your abilities," he said.

That made me smile. "Very well, then, let's get started. Since I have you with me, you're going to have to answer a few questions so that I can start on finding a decent bride for you."

* * *

Jack was a bit apprehensive about the questions she might ask, but relaxed when he realized that she merely wanted to know what kind of man he was and what he was looking for in a wife.

He told her the basics of what he was looking for, and Evie accepted each of these traits with a nod.

"Mr. Teague, I should tell you that in most instances, what you're _looking_ for and what you _get_ can be quite different," she explained once he was done. "Some men find exactly what they want in the women I find them; however, in most cases, they decide that what they wanted didn't matter much after meeting the woman they end up marrying."

Well, he could see her point, but Jack was sure his "requirements" wouldn't change much, if at all, after he met the women Evie was going to introduce him to.

However, he hadn't told her that he had no intention of meeting any of the women here at Port Thomas. Small-town folk were not his favorite kind of people, and Jack wanted a wife who was open to adventure and any strange things he offer as a gift for her. For that kind of woman, they had to go elsewhere, and that required Evie to go with them on the Pearl.

"Well, from what you have told me, I think you require two different sorts of women, Mr. Teague," Evie said, stopping to take a seat on a large log that had washed up on the beach. "One sort is a woman who would be happy to remain a solitary housewife in a house that you provide for her, and welcome you into her house and bed with open arms whenever you see fit to visit her."

Jack nodded. "Aye, that's one possibility. And the other?"

She smiled and straightened out her skirts. "The other type is a woman who you would welcome as part of your crew, a woman who loves the sea and adventure, and who wants to see the world with you. I, personally, think that this is the kind of girl who would suit you best."

Ah, such a girl was the stuff that Jack's dreams were made of. Having a housebound wife to visit was a lovely thought, but not practical, especially when he was in urgent and immediate need of 'feminine attentions.'

A wife who wanted to stay with him, but who wouldn't be a burden to have aboard, was a rare breed. She had to be made of stern stuff to live onboard a pirate ship, and had to know how to give orders, work hard, and know how to survive in a battle. Such women were nay impossible to find.

'_But perhaps Miss Evie Watkins can find one_ _when I couldn't_.'

However, Evie wasn't finished yet. "I'm afraid you won't find such women here in Port Thomas," she apologized. "Most of the women here fit into the first type of wife I suggested."

Jack shook his head. "I thought as much. Women from small towns tend to be content with their ways of life, so I hadn't expected to find the diamond-in-the-rough here in Port Thomas."

She looked thoughtful. "Well, I can try and find someone off one of the incoming ships, which usually stop by on their way to other ports. With a enough time, I can probably find an adequate wife for you."

Alas, she couldn't have known that he had no intention of remaining here in Port Thomas for very long.

Keeping his thoughts private, Jack smiled. "Well, then, you can get started on that in a day or two. My ship needs to be restocked, but afterwards, we can begin the search, savvy?"

They parted ways immediately, Evie going home to her cottage and Jack going off to the Pearl. There he was greeted by the welcoming sight of several cases of rum being loaded, and Mr. Gibbs shouting orders to those on deck to work faster so they could load the supplies still lying on the dock.

"Mr. Gibbs!" Jack shouted, getting his first mate's attention immediately. "I need six men who are as quiet on their feet as cats, and as discreet."

Gibbs nodded and pointed out the men. Jack nodded his thanks and called the half-dozen fellows into his cabin. When all were assembled, he gave them their orders.

"In town is a woman named Evianna Watkins," he said, leaning against his desk. "She's a matchmaker, and she's going to be using her talents to find wives for those onboard who want them. Unfortunately, we're going to have to "persuade" her to join us aboard the Pearl, since I doubt the women in this tiny town would be willing to marry any of you dogs."

The men laughed, then proceeded to smack and elbow each other in jest. Jack waved them quiet. "Now, the six of you will have to sneak into this woman's home and pack up her belongings to take with us. In two days, I'll lure her out for a few hours, then bring her here to the Pearl. Before we arrive, though, you'll have to have brought all of her moveable things here. Savvy?"

All six men nodded. "Good. Now, get back to work. Thompson, send Mr. Cotton to clean out that spare cabin adjoining mine, and tell him to make it fit for a proper young woman. Miss Watkins will need a safe place to sleep while she's here."

With his plans in place, Jack picked up a bottle of rum from his private stores and took a seat in his favorite chair. Propping his feet up, he uncorked the bottle and took a deep drink, smiling as the alcohol burned pleasantly down his throat.

* * *

AN: Review?


	4. Kidnappings and Deals

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I own nothing related to _**Pirates of the Caribbean**_. That belongs to Jerry Bruckheimer, Disney, and a bunch of other people. Only original characters and plotlines are mine.

AN: Hi! Sorry this is a bit late; real life can be a bit frustrating at times. But here's the chapter, and I hope that everyone enjoys themselves. Thanks for reading, and please review!

**Chapter 4: Kidnappings and Deals:**

Two days later, Jack did exactly what he promised: he went to visit Miss Evie Watkins on the pretense of looking for a wife among the town's women.

Of course, he did the polite thing of sending a note ahead of time, asking her to meet him at the beach so that they could discuss his matter. Not half an hour later, his messenger returned with Miss Evie's agreement to meet at noon the following day.

They met as scheduled, and Jack did his best to act politely towards her, rather than treat her as he did his usual wenches. This, obviously, wasn't that difficult, considering the pale blue dress she wore was very proper, like any small-town lass's outfit ought to be. She also carried a parasol to keep the sun off rather than wear a hat, which presently dangled from her fingertips by its loose white ribbons.

"So, what did you want to speak of, Mr. Teague?" she asked, looking at him. "If you're going to ask if I've found you a bride yet, you may save your breath; the answer is no."

He grinned. "Please, call me Jack. And nay, my lady, I wasn't going to ask you that –even _I_ know it takes time to find a wife for a sailor such as me. I was merely wondering how you manage to make such stable and appropriate matches between men and women."

It was her turn to grin. "It's just a knack, I suppose. I've always been good at looking deeper into a person's traits and personalities. When someone comes to me in search of a bride or groom, I try my best to get to know them better, and proceed from there to look for a partner for them."

"Really?" Jack drawled. "I don't suppose you'd care to try and know me better, luv?"

He was trying to flirt with her, and when he usually tried to be flirtatious, women tended to respond well. However, her reaction wasn't quite what he expected.

* * *

I couldn't help but laugh good-naturedly as I shook my head at him. "No offense, sir, but you won't get anywhere with me using those tactics. Even without knowing you well, I can tell that you are going to be one of the more difficult cases. You dashing, roguish ones always are."

Mr. Teague – or Jack, as he asked me to call him – looked surprised at my reply, but strangely, not upset. He actually took my rejection well, and merely sighed in a moderately sorrowful manner.

"Ah, well, we devilishly good-looking fellows are difficult when it comes to matrimony. So, you've met several men like meself –handsome rogues on the look-out for a wife?"

He had no idea. Over the years, I had helped numerous men of his ilk find wives, and they had to be the most difficult men in the world to find brides for. They were usually handsome, and knew it, which made them incredibly vain, self-centered, flirtatious heartbreakers, all of which were very bad qualities in a man. It also happened that those traits usually led to an unhappy marriage, _unless_ the fellow was paired with the right sort of woman.

Finding suitable mates for those men had been some of the hardest matches I'd ever made in my life. Those men had wanted wives they could walk all over; women who would let them do whatever they wanted and either not care, or welcome their man back home with open arms and happy smiles.

But that wasn't right for neither the men nor their brides. I wanted everyone to be happy, and if I couldn't make a successful match, then I'd been determined to refuse the job and let the man go find a wife on his own.

Thankfully, it hadn't come to that sort of drastic measures. In the end, I had been able to find a wife for each of those scoundrels, though it had taken quite a bit of time and a _lot_ of effort. Those women had been had been made of sterner stuff –they had refused to let their husbands walk all over them, and weren't afraid to give as good as they got, especially when it came to their husband trying to find female attentions elsewhere. Eventually, those same rascals realized that they didn't like seeing or thinking about their wives being with other men, and managed to settle down into married life. I knew that some of the men (those who still lived in Port Thomas, anyway) still flirted outrageously with the women around them, but it never went further than that.

I gave Jack a smirk. "Oh, yes, I've met several men like you, Mr. Teague, and I can promise that even though you might prove a challenge, I happen to like a bit of difficultly in my life. I think I might surprise you with what I can do."

* * *

Jack felt himself grinning. She was feisty, he'd give her that, and he always did like women who had spirit. '_She's clever, too. Most matchmakers usually are_.'

Evie Watkins was more than that, though –for her to have found wives for men like him meant that she really did know what she was doing, and that she was willing to go far for those who had hired her and her services.

'_It also means that she's stubborn, and we all know how stubborn women can act_.'

Aye, he certainly knew _that_ well enough! Of course, that also meant that things would at least be interesting while he had her aboard the Pearl.

'_Can't abide dull women_,' he thought with an inward cringe. He particularly hated it when all they did was chatter at him and giggled in high voices.

But Evie would be different, and Jack could hardly wait to see how she and Anna-Maria got along together. Anna tended to not get on well with anyone, but surely another female would be welcome company aboard a ship full of men?

"So, Miss Evie, tell me about yourself. The matchmaking business can't truly be all you have, can it? There must be other things you do to pass the time."

She sighed, eyes looking down at the sand as she walked. "I'm sorry to say that my work keeps me busy more than I'd like it to, though it does afford me at least a few days of rest between matchmaking requests. I am fond of reading, but am unable to indulge in it often since I have so many other things to do, besides my work. It often makes me wish that I could leave Port Thomas and start over."

She gave him a rather shamed smile. "I don't mean to sound selfish, but it would be nice to have a life that is my own, rather than spend the rest of my days seeing to the happiness of others."

Jack quirked an eyebrow, surprised in spite of himself. That was interesting. Perhaps this was the opportune moment to put his plan into action…

"I'm having a thought here, luv," he said, offering her his arm. "What do you say to a tour of my ship?"

* * *

Oh, he was the charming one, and his handsome, eccentric appearance was wearing on my sense of caution.

I had seen and met many good-looking, charismatic men in my life, but they had been the quickest in town to marry –with so many women hanging all over them, it was really no wonder that they rarely came to ask me to make a match for them. Those few who _had_ come to me for aid sometimes had me feeling all flustered around them, almost to the point where I wished it were me they wanted instead of someone else. They never did, of course; they always ended up happily married to whichever lady I paired them with.

Following those first few encounters with handsome men, I quickly learned to put defenses up against their charms, and concentrate on the matters at hand. After all, I was a matchmaker, and it was my job to make others happy, not myself. Now there was a handsome man beside me, offering to give me a tour of his ship. Why shouldn't I accept it?

Smiling, I took his arm. "That sounds wonderful, Mr. Teague. Lead on."

* * *

The trek from the beach to the docks was a fairly long one, and by the time they reached the edge of town, Jack was parched. Fortunately, there was tavern nearby, and Jack purchased lemonade for Evie while he indulged in a satisfactory tankard of rum. She was a little surprised at his drink of choice, but said nothing, which was a good sign –he couldn't stand lectures about the 'sins of strong drink.'

Refreshed, he escorted her to the Pearl, and watched in satisfaction as a look of awe and amazement crossed her face.

"Oh, my," she breathed. "It's beautiful!"

"She," Jack corrected. "Ships are always female."

Evie rolled her eyes. "Well, then, _she's_ beautiful."

"My thanks, luv," he said, grinning at her. "Care for a tour?"

"Yes, please," she said eagerly. "I've never been on a ship before."

As they ascended the gangplank, Jack looked for Gibbs. Luckily, his first mate stood nearby, following his Captain's every move out of the corner of his eye. When his eyes caught his first mate's, Jack gave an affirmative nod, the signal for his plan to be put in motion.

Gibbs immediately nodded in understanding and turned towards the crewmen on deck, giving them a discreet sign to begin their work.

* * *

I had never been on a ship before, and was rather nervous about the constant movement under my feet. Jack seemed to sense my unease, and pulled me over to the railing, where he offered me a few pieces of candied ginger and told me to eat them.

"Ancient Chinese remedy," he explained as I gazed questionable at him. "Ginger helps settle your stomach when you're at sea, preventing seasickness. It works wonders for regular colds and sickness, too."

As I didn't want to spill my lunch all over the deck, I decided to take his advice and eat the ginger. I had heard of the odd root, and that it came from China, but had never actually sampled it. The taste was unlike anything I'd ever experienced before, and I just couldn't put it into words. Well, maybe one…

"Goodness," I coughed, swallowing the piece in my mouth. I had to force myself to eat the rest.

Jack seemed amused at my reaction, but said nothing about it. "Time for that tour, then. Shall we?"

He led me as far down as we could go, and began the tour there. I was shown where prisoners were kept, the guns, and the storage rooms, as well as where the crewmen slept.

"Just the crewmen, mind," Jack said while pointing out the hammocks. "Anna-Maria's the only female aboard, and has her own cabin elsewhere. She does her fair share of the work, plus a bit more."

I looked at him in surprise. The few sailors I'd met in the past had all claimed that having a woman aboard was bad luck –that was why they didn't want wives to travel with them.

"I didn't notice her," I remarked, feeling more than a little confused.

"Nor would you," Jack replied as we proceeded onto another part of the ship. "She dresses like the men do, wearing breeches, shirts, that sort of thing. If it weren't for certain female attributes on her top decks, you'd think she was a man."

I realized what he was talking about and chuckled. "Oh, I see. Well, I'm glad you're one to go against superstition and allow women aboard."

"It's one of my good traits," he said with a grin. "Now, onwards and upwards?"

Jack then took me to the captain's cabin, where I was immediately shown the charts for where the ship was heading. By then, I realized what my instincts were telling me: that Jack wasn't a mere crewman on this ship, but actually the captain. I doubted that any of the crew would be bold enough to enter the Captain's cabin and be so bold as to shift through his belongings.

After a while, I noticed that the quiet movement of the ship had changed, becoming rougher and more unstable. I asked Jack if there was a normal thing, and he merely shrugged.

"Probably the tide coming in," he said. "It's nothing to worry about."

Since I had no experience with ships, I took his word for it. We then turned our attention back to the charts, and just as I was preparing to ask a question about a marking on the map, the ship dipped sharply, causing me to lose my footing. I didn't fall, but it was still rather alarming.

Glancing out the window, I saw nothing but empty sea, and the sea was moving. The ship had set sail, with me still onboard!

* * *

Jack tried not to wince as Evie let out a cry of surprise. Instead, he tried to appear casual about the whole thing by taking a seat at the large table in his quarters and propping his feet up.

"What are you doing?" she demanded, clearly torn between anger and fear. "What's going on?"

He reached for one of his bottles of rum and popped the cork. "We're heading out to sea, that's all."

"That's _all_?" Evie cried. "I demand that you take me back to Port Thomas at once! Honestly, I cannot believe you're actually _kidnapping_ me!"

"Actually," Jack said, holding up a forefinger in correction, "It's not really kidnapping. After all, I _did_ hire you for your service as a matchmaker, both for me and my crew. And since there can't possibly be enough ladies in your quaint town for all of us, it only makes sense that I take you with us until you've fulfilled your side of the bargain."

She looked dazed. "Take me with you? And where, exactly, are we going? I'm able to work in Port Thomas, where I know everyone, but if you plan on taking me to some foreign land, I can't promise perfect matches."

Jack merely smiled. "I think you underestimate your skills, luv. I've heard of your ability to find matches for travelers passing through, sometimes pairing them with another fellow traveler. On more than one occasion, the bride or groom came from another ship altogether. I believe you'll manage to find brides for me and my men out in the world somewhere."

Now she was positively fuming. "And did you ever think that perhaps people would miss me? How is my sudden disappearance going to be explained?"

"Ah, I've already thought of that," he replied. "I'm more than certain that, since most of your belongings are missing, the citizens of Port Thomas will think that you've decided to take yourself elsewhere to live. They might be surprised and disappointed at first, but they'll recover."

Evie huffed and crossed her arms. "Well, the payment had better stay at what you promised: my weight in gold if I succeed," she threatened, eyes narrowing. "Or else you'll live to regret it."

Jack couldn't help but grin in amusement. "If you manage to find wives for all of us, luv, it'll be worth every penny. But if it'll ease your thoughts, I'll sweeten the deal by dropping you off wherever you want –once you've done your part, of course."

She eyed him carefully. "_Anywhere_ I want? You'll do that?"

"I give you my solemn vow," Jack said, raising his right hand. "I, Captain Jack Sparrow, will pay you your rightful wage and drop you off wherever it is you wish."

He watched in satisfaction as her jaw dropped in shock.

* * *

_Captain Jack Sparrow_.

The name echoed in my head as my jaw dropped to the ground. I was standing in the cabin of one of the most feared pirates in the world, and had been hired to help him in a quest to find him a bride. I was helping a pirate, and if I were caught, would likely be branded one as well.

"As charming as you look with your mouth gaping, it might be best for you to close it," Jack said, clearly amused. I did as he bid. "Now, I've had my men bring your belongings onboard. You'll be staying in a cabin adjoining mine, for the sake of your safety."

I scowled and tried to protest, but stopped at the serious look he gave me. "As trustworthy as my men are, they _are_ still men, and you're one of only two women aboard," Jack warned. "My second mate, Anna-Maria, can take care of herself, and no one with sense would touch her. You, my dear, are a genteel woman with no experience in handling weapons, and will have to be kept safe."

Getting to his feet, my captor looked me straight in the eyes, every inch a Captain. "Therefore, you'll keep to your cabin every evening we're at sea. Nightfall is when the crew breaks out the rum, dice, and cards –after that, they aren't safe to be around if you're female. The men, all of whom you'll be introduced to over time, know that they are not to enter your cabin under any circumstances.

"As for when we're in port, either Anna-Maria, Mr. Gibbs, or I will escort you around town. If you wish to sleep at an inn, Anna-Maria will stay in that room with you. Savvy?"

Well, if he had rules, so did I. Crossing my arms, I stared back at him, all business as well.

"Very well, Captain," I replied, holding my chin up. "But you should also know that I will not permit you to have any women in your cabin while I am staying in the adjoining one."

I leveled a cold gaze at him, effectively silencing any objections. "You're welcome to entertain yourself on land, but as long as I am staying aboard this ship, you are not to have 'evening company' of any kind in your cabin, particularly since I'll likely be able to hear your actions next door."

Things were quiet as Captain Sparrow thought it over, but at last he nodded his agreement. "Alright, as long as I get to keep company somewhere. Now, do we have an accord?"

I eyed the ringed hand he held out, but took it to shake. "We do. Now, if you'll kindly point me in the direction of my cabin, I'd be much obliged."

* * *

Jack started to smirk, but did his best to hide it. The girl was a shrewd bargainer; a good sign, even if he'd come out the loser in this case.

It wasn't long before he introduced Evie to her new home. The cabin was rather crowded with her belongings haphazardly thrown into it, but at least she hadn't been one for collecting many possessions. With a little careful organizing, it wouldn't be hard to turn into a comfortable living space.

Before he left her to it, Jack pressed a key into her palm. "To lock yourself in at night," he explained to her puzzled expression. "If someone tries to break in, there's a hidden door that leads to my cabin. See that grayish knothole in the wall? You press it to unlatch it, and come running for me the _minute_ you know you're in danger, savvy?"

He showed her how to access the secret door, and once he was sure she knew how to do it herself, Jack tipped his hat to her and left.

As the door closed behind him, he grinned. This was going to be a very interesting adventure.

* * *

AN: Review?


	5. Aboard Ship

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own anything related to _**Pirates of the Caribbean**_. Well, except a Jack Sparrow poster, but that's pretty much it. Only original creations (characters, places, etc) are mine.

AN: Sorry about the late update, but here's another chapter. I hope that everyone enjoys themselves, and please don't forget to review!

**Chapter 5: Aboard Ship:**

While trying to sleep my first night onboard the Pearl, I realized something very quickly: sailing did not agree with me.

It wasn't that I got seasick (though I was somewhat uncomfortable at sea) –it was the fact that I knew nothing about ships, and had no idea how I was going to earn my keep aboard the Pearl.

Unfortunately, Captain Sparrow wasn't much help in this. When I approached him the day after my "kidnapping" from Port Thomas, I mentioned the idea of getting _some_ kind of work to do, and possibly having someone teach me about ships. To my disappointment and frustration, he merely waved aside my concerns and told me not to think about it.

"You're earning your keep by finding marriage partners for those that want them," he said, leaning back in his chair. "No need to add to the already difficult task _that_ will be."

But that wasn't good enough for me. The last thing I wanted was to cause trouble with the crew, who probably wouldn't take kindly to my not lifting a finger during my stay aboard. After I explained this to him, Sparrow finally gave in.

"Alright," he said, throwing his hands up as he sat straight in his seat. "If it means that much to you, I'll find a few crewmen to teach you how things are done, and maybe find you some work."

"My thanks, Captain," I said.

"It's Jack, luv," he said, waving a ringed finger at me. "Remember, you're to call me Jack."

I smiled. "My thanks…Jack," I said before turning to leave the cabin.

* * *

My first full day aboard the Pearl was an easy one, because I had nothing to do while Jack searched for my tutors among the crew. I didn't think many would be open to teaching a woman the ways of sailing, and since I didn't want to make things uncomfortable, I stayed in my cabin to reorganize and decorate the space a bit.

Never had I been so thankful for my frugalness. My cottage had boasted two levels, but the top had been my attic-bedroom, and the entire place had been sparse, with minimal amounts of furniture, dishes, and decorations. I'd had only the bed, a wardrobe chest, and a small bedside table upstairs. Downstairs had been the kitchen, steps leading upstairs, and an eating area merging to the parlor, all of which had the minimal amount of furniture, but all of which had been comfortable and good quality.

In my cabin aboard the Pearl were my bedsheets (doubtless the bed was too big to carry), the chest, and the bedside table, along with my writing desk and its accompanying chair. I'd possessed several small side tables at home, with lace coverings and pretty little knickknacks for decoration. Sadly, there was no room here for the tables (which had been left behind), though the expensive decorations had been carefully packed and brought aboard. Everything that was small, portable, valuable, or all of the above were here in my cabin; the larger items had been left in my cottage, and could be replaced once my task here was complete and I found a new place to settle.

By noon, my things had been arranged to my liking, and I was ready for lunch. That was when Jack appeared with an offer to join him in his cabin for the noon meal, an offer I tentatively accepted.

The center table had been set for two, and scattered about were covered platters of food. To my surprise, Jack held my chair for me, and made sure I was comfortable before taking his own seat. He then proceeded to remove the dish covers and pass the platters of seaming food to me.

"Well, Evie," he said while handing me a plate of soft rolls, "I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I've found a few teachers for you among the crew. You'll be introduced to them tomorrow morning."

I sighed in relief. "Thank goodness," I said, buttering a roll.

"Ah, don't thank your lucky stars yet, luv," Jack chided me. "Remember, these are sailors and pirates, so they're rather rough around the edges. Try not to be too offended if they say something crude, or that you don't understand while teaching you, savvy?"

Nodding, I dove into my meal, wondering who would be helping me, and if I would get along with them.

* * *

As it turned out, my teachers were, according to Jack, some of the best and brightest crewmembers he had.

First was Mr. Gibbs, a portly fellow with grey-white hair and very impressive sideburns. Jack warned me that Gibbs was the superstitious type, and did not approve of Jack having one woman on the Pearl, much less two.

"However, given that Anna-Maria works as hard as a man, and you are going to set up some of the crew with spouses, Gibbs has decided to keep quiet about his beliefs," Jack said as he introduced us.

The handshake Gibbs provided was firm, but gentle, and I found his awkward smile rather amusing instead of annoying.

Next was Anna-Maria, Jack's second mate. Given that she was the only female crewmember aboard the Pearl, I had expected a fierce, mean-tempered woman who scowled and snapped at anyone who crossed her. Instead, I found the dark-skinned woman to be warmer than I'd expected, though I could see that she had a temper hidden underneath –any woman who served aboard a pirate ship was _not_ to be underestimated just because she was female. Still, she shook my hand with a firm, but tender grasp, her fingers and palm as rough as Gibbs' had been, and welcomed me with a nod and a very small smile.

Last was an old man with, of all things, a parrot on his shoulder. Jack introduced him as Mr. Cotton, the ship's cook, and explained that the old man was mute. I had no idea what Jack meant when he said "the parrot talks for him," until the bird actually said something to me.

"_Rawk_, bonnie lass!" it squawked at me, followed by a brief whistle.

I laughed. "Why, thank you," I graciously replied, smiling at the brightly plumaged creature. Looking over at Jack, I asked, "Does the bird have a name?"

He shrugged. "Damned if I know. We basically refer to the both of them as Mr. Cotton; it's a lot easier that way, and less confusing."

"Well, thank you, Mr. Cotton," I said. The old man smiled back.

With the introductions done, Mr. Gibbs decided that he would provide the first lesson of the day. "Anna will take you on next, and then hand you off to Cotton a few hours later," he said, leading me to a quiet, out-of-the-way place on deck. "Since we've a lot to do, we can only spare a couple hours with ye, but that should be enough to get you started."

The first thing was a lesson in sailing. Mr. Gibbs showed me the different ropes that helped with the sails, the anchors, and which tethered the ship to shore whenever they were in port. He also showed me the many different kinds of knots that were used, and how to undo them without resorting to using a knife.

"Rope's a bad thing to waste on a ship," he explained to me as he demonstrated a knot. "We not only use it for sailing, but to keep ourselves from sweeping overboard during a storm. That's why we like keeping our rope whole and in good strong shape, not in useless pieces."

However, I was told that I was not expected to actually handle the ropes myself. According to Gibbs, the Captain had decided that I was extremely unprepared when it came to true hard work, and that I was to be given tasks according to whatever skills I already had.

"So what am I allowed to do?" I retorted. "For heaven's sake, why are you bothering to teach me about ropes when it's clear that no one will allow me to touch one?"

Nearby, Anna-Maria chuckled. "She's got you there, Gibbs. You're trying to teach the girl as though you were training a cabin boy. She isn't actually one of the crew, remember?"

Gibbs huffed and rolled his eyes. "Because you never know what'll happen," he said. "What if we need her help during a hurricane or storm? She might be forced to help, and if she doesn't know what she's doing, then we'll be in even bigger trouble."

He looked over at me. "The Captain may not want you to become overly involved in sailor duties, but some of this might save your life or the life of another crewman –or woman," he hastily added, for Anna's sake. "Now, ropes are important, especially during storms, so that's what I'm going to teach you. After that, we'll see what we can do, aye?"

Pleased that he was actually going to teach me something useful, I learned the intricacies of three knots before I was handed over to Anna-Maria's tutorage. She, too, wanted to find me something useful to learn, but with Jack's orders, she could only teach me so much –well, openly at least. But what she chose to teach me in private surprised even me.

"I'm going to teach you to fight," she declared.

I stared at her. We were below decks, tucked into her private cabin aboard the Pearl, a space that was only a tad bit bigger than my own. However, Anna (as she asked me to call her) had no desk to write on, just a small table with a portable writing desk on top, so perhaps in only seemed larger.

"_Fight_?" I squeaked nervously. I'd never touched anything sharper than a cutting knife; how on earth was I supposed to handle anything more deadly than that?

She sighed. "You may be under the Captain's protection, but you still need to know how to protect yourself. The men of the Pearl are a good group, but whenever we stop at a port, you'll need to look out for yourself, especially when we're in a bind."

Well, I suppose I could see that. Besides, what if something happened to those who were supposed to be protecting me? Jack had said I'd always have someone accompanying me, but things did happen, especially in the world of piracy.

And ironically enough, the weapon she decided to start me with was a knife. "It's from the ship's weapon stores, so no one will really miss it," Anna explained, pressing the blade's hilt into my palm.

It wasn't a very large blade, but it was sharp and could do some very real damage. Best of all, it could be hidden in a bodice or in a boot, or even a loose sleeve. I received quick instructions on how to swipe at an attacker to make them back away, and how to injure, but not kill.

"You're too sweet a person to know how to kill," Anna explained as she helped me tuck the knife into one of my skirt pockets. "Now, hide that in your room, and tomorrow, you find yourself some breeches and men's clothes. If those skirts get soaked, they'll weigh you down, and you need to be able to move quickly on deck."

The idea of wearing men's gear made me wince, but I knew it would be best. I couldn't flutter around the deck in a dress and have the material catch on something –it could cause an accident, and not even Jack would forgive me if a crewmember got hurt because of my outfit choice. Breeches it would have to be.

"I'll see what we've got that'll fit you," Anna said with a smile. "For now, though, you ought to get to Mr. Cotton. He's in the galley."

By now I knew that the galley was the kitchen, and that puzzled me. "Why do you have a mute man in the kitchen?" I asked as she led me there. "I mean, he has no tongue, so why…"

She shrugged. "I've no idea. Somehow, the man found his way into the galley and we can't get him out of there for anything. Well, the Captain can order him out, but Cotton seems comfortable where he is, and he turns out fairly decent food, so there's no complaining."

A grin pulled at her mouth. "And who knows, maybe you can make the food taste better, since you've got the ability to test the stuff you cook."

Shaking my head, I smiled and playfully slapped her arm as we stepped into the galley.

* * *

By the end of the day, I'd decided that, of all my "teachers," Cotton and Anna-Maria were my favorites (although Mr. Gibbs had his good qualities, too).

Mr. Cotton was a dear and so was his parrot. He taught me what he knew about the kitchen through demonstration, with me verbally repeating back what I'd seen, and him nodding or shaking his head whenever I was right or wrong. If I was wrong, then I would watch him again until I could accurately repeat and mirror what he'd done without mistakes. The parrot offered the occasional word or two, but I couldn't understand most of its garbled speech, so I did my best to ignore it.

At first, I thought Cotton's cooking tutorage was a bit redundant. I already knew how to cook, of course, since I lived alone, but cooking for one person and cooking for a crew of dozens was quite different. Mr. Cotton managed to show me how it was done while simultaneously having me help him chop, stir, boil, and mix all the ingredients together to make a very nice fish stew.

Well, actually, the stew had been relatively tolerable, considering that Mr. Cotton couldn't taste his work to see if it was actually edible, but it seemed that he worked according to smell, and if it smelled good, the food must be good –at least in theory.

With me there, however, I was able to taste the stew and see if anything was needed. My mother, rest her soul, had been a good cook, and had taught me all that she knew before she died. Using the skills I'd learned, I was able to add a few spices to the bubbling concoction and make it more satisfactory, at least to my sense of taste.

Unfortunately, I had no idea of gauging what the crew thought of it; Anna-Maria had come down just as the stew was almost done cooking, and said that I was to eat all of my meals either in my own cabin, or in Jack's.

"The Captain wants to be sure you aren't exposed to the crew's eating manners," she said, winking. "Or lack of them, is more accurate. Believe me, if you saw them eat, you'd lose your appetite right quick!"

I grinned. "Then how do _you_ put up with it?" I challenged her teasingly.

"Simple," Anna replied, "I don't eat with them."

Laughing, I followed her up to the top decks and back to my cabin, which is where she showed me, of all things, a small stack of men's clothing, along with a pair of brown boots. The shirts and breeches weren't new, but they were clean and smelled of lavender. I had a strong suspicion that my new wardrobe had come from her own stores (since I doubted any of the men used lavender for anything), but I said nothing about it, since she didn't.

Then, to my surprise, Anna made me try them on for size. The breeches were a bit long, since Anna was a few inches taller than I, but they could be tucked into the boots with no trouble. The shirts fit well enough, and were easy to move around in.

I was a bit sad to see that everything was in rather drab shades of brown and grey, but that meant they could be soaking wet and not show anything indecent. Not that it would have mattered, since Anna had included a few undershirts that could be worn beneath my clothes.

"Well, now, don't you look like a respectable pirate?" Anna said, smiling with hands on her hips. "You'll need a belt, though, and perhaps a vest or two. I'm thinking a knife in both boots, and in time, a sword on the hip, or at least a long knife in case of a fight."

She waved aside my protests. "You'll need to have at least one knife handy when you're on a ship. There are ropes everywhere, and in extreme circumstances, it's better to cut them than untie them."

I swallowed nervously, but nodded. "Anything else? A hat, perhaps?"

Anna studied me closely, and nodded. "A hat might help. You'll need one until your skin is used to being out in the sun for hours at a time."

There was a knock on the door, which I opened to the sight of a rather uncomfortable Mr. Gibbs. His eyes almost fell out of his head at the sight of me in brown breeches and matching shirt, but he merely cleared his throat and looked at the floor.

"Captain wants you to join him for dinner in his cabin, Miss Watkins," he said.

"You can call me Evie, Mr. Gibbs," I said. "You, too, Anna."

"No problems there," she muttered, pushing her way through the door.

I followed the first mate to Jack's cabin, where I was greeted by the scoundrel himself. Jack grinned at the sight of me in breeches, but said nothing as he led me to the table set up for two. I sat and accepted a bowl of stew from him, as well as a roll and some cheese.

"So, how was your first full day aboard, luv?" he asked, digging into his food. "Not too difficult, I hope."

"Well, Mr. Gibbs seems determined to be patient and helpful," I said, dipping my bread into the broth. "Anna-Maria was kind enough to find me some men's clothing, and suggested a few other things I might need the next time we stop into port."

Jack swallowed a mouthful and nodded. "Aye, we'll make sure you have all the necessities of a pirate when next we stop. You'll need a weapon for sure, just in case."

He eyed me closely. "The men who fetched your belongings said that you only had a shabby brush and comb on your bedside table. I thought all women loved having fancy things."

"All women love pretty things, but not all of them can afford it," I snorted and took a bite of my broth-soaked roll. Swallowing, I sighed and stirred at the meat and vegetables with my spoon. "I've always been careful with money. Mama and Papa taught me to save up in case of an emergency, and I want enough put away so that, one day, I won't have to work anymore and be happy living an easy life."

Jack looked at me with those deep brown eyes of his, all seriousness. "An easy life can be overrated," he drawled, producing a bottle of rum from somewhere. "What would you do with the freed hours? Sew? Cook? Clean? Would that be much of a difference to what you did back home?"

He took a swig from the bottle. "Sitting around a house doing nothing is the definition of boredom. Wouldn't you rather have a life outside of four walls?"

"All I want is to be happy," I said, scooping up some stew. "I don't know what kind of life I want yet, but when I find it, I'll keep it."

Jack seemed satisfied with that, and continued eating his stew. The rest of the meal was finished in somewhat silence.

* * *

AN: Review?


	6. A Place Aboard Ship

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own anything related to _**Pirates of the Caribbean**_. Well, except a Jack Sparrow poster, but that's pretty much it. Only original creations (characters, places, etc) are mine.

AN: Sorry for the late update –I've been taking a short vacation this week, so I'm a bit behind. Thanks so much for reading, and please don't forget to review!

**Chapter 6: A Place Aboard Ship:**

It was hard for a woman such as me to find my "place" aboard a pirate ship, particularly one like the Black Pearl. As I had been brought up "proper and female," I was therefore considered useless by most of the crew. And since I was not used to the difficult work load they bore, as shown by the softness of my hands, I was kept away from the more difficult jobs.

Luckily, I had the sympathy of my three tutors. All of them, including Mr. Gibbs, recognized that I'd be useless in cleaning and polishing the weaponry, especially since I had no idea how to handle swords, pistols and such. I was not suited to the harsh scrubbing of the decks and railings. I was also not allowed to haul anything remotely heavy from below, or even across the deck.

At first, I didn't mind the lack of work –I was busy enough with all three of my teachers showing me about life on the Pearl.

Anna-Maria was teaching me how to handle a knife in a fight, and for other practical purposes, like woodcarving and cutting rope. She was a hard teacher, but we both knew the effort was well worth it.

Mr. Cotton, the darling man he was, let me help him in the kitchen, where I proceeded to assist in making three meals each day for the crew. Since Mr. Gibbs wasn't very "functional" in the morning, thanks to his nightly intake of rum, I was easily free to help with breakfast before my time with him. Meanwhile, my lessons with Anna were moved to the afternoons, which left me free to help with lunch, and afterwards, I was free to help with dinner.

Ironically enough, it was Mr. Gibbs who discovered that I had enough on my plate as it was. While I sat beside him on a coil of wound rope, learning about pirates and the Code they lived by, I mentioned how useless I currently felt, and was surprised when he chuckled at me.

"Lass, did you ever think about how hard it is to make food for an entire crew, three times a day?" he drawled out. "Cotton barely manages as it is, but with your help, it's not only possible for him to make enough for us all, but it also tastes better than it has in ages." He smirked. "Which isn't surprising, since Cotton can't taste a damned thing –uh, begging your pardon, Miss."

I waved aside his apology. "I've heard worse, Mr. Gibbs, so think nothing of it. And call me Evie; Cotton, Anna-Maria, and Jack do."

That was true enough, though the crew still called me Miss Evie. Since I was going to be onboard for a _very_ lengthy amount of time, I'd hoped that the crew might count me as one of them. Well, at least someday.

Gibbs nodded. "Alright, Evie," he said. "Have I convinced ye that you're more than occupied enough in your present duties?"

"For now," I replied. "But what happens after I've learned my fill about pirates and ships? Then what will I do?"

"No worries," a familiar voice chimed in. "I'm sure we'll find you something useful to do."

I rolled my eyes as Anna-Maria leaned against the railing beside me. "Yes, I'm sure it will be something terrible, too, if you have anything to say about it."

"Nah, Evie, would I do such a thing?" she laughed and motioned for me to get up. "Come on, it's time for you to start helping Cotton with lunch. The men have pulled up some fine crab and lobster today, so you need to help with the shelling."

Groaning, I got up and stretched, relishing the freedom that a pair of breeches and a shirt gave me. "Alright, I suppose I'll see you later this afternoon, Anna," I said as one of my hands came to rest on the belt buckle at my waist, a subtle signal that I was ready for our fighting lesson.

She nodded and waved as I disappeared below, heading straight for the galley.

* * *

"Sweet lass," Gibbs commented, pulling out his flask to take a drink. "Smart, too, and very helpful. Cotton and his bloody bird love her already."

Anna-Maria sighed and shook her head. "Aye, and too sweet for this ship," she said. "Evie's smart, though, I'll give you that, and more than willing to pull her weight. Pity the Captain won't let us give her more work to do –she's capable of doing more than cooking in the galley and listening to you lecture on about piracy and our Code."

Gibbs swallowed his mouthful of rum and chuckled. "Aye, Captain's afraid that she might start whining if we give her too much to do. He figures that she's also too much of a lady to do any _real_ work, and is best left to her own devices."

The Pearl's second mate glared at him. "Well, I can't teach her knife defenses forever! She's going to have to learn _at least_ the sword and pistol, especially since we'll likely be pillaging while she's aboard. We can't risk her getting hurt while we're doing what pirates do best."

He looked thoughtful. "True enough, though I don't think Jack will let the poor thing out of her cabin while we're in the middle of a raid. Still, couldn't hurt to teach her to fight."

Anna smacked him playfully in the shoulder. "Ah, I knew it! You've grown fond of her, you softhearted lout!"

"I have not," Gibbs muttered rubbing his shoulder while sipping from his flask. "I just think the poor thing is too ladylike for riding around on a ship like the Pearl."

"Well, it's too late now," Anna declared, pulling out a dagger to clean her nails. "Evie's agreed to find wives for the crewmen that want them, and she doesn't seem the sort to back out on her word. The problem is that I doubt she'll get very far, considering the men are avoiding her like the plague. You and I will have to do something about that."

She had to slap the poor man on the back as he choked on his rum. "Do something about _what_?" Gibbs sputtered, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. "You want me to introduce the lass like some wig-wearing halfwit at a grand party? Don't think the men'll take kindly to _that_!"

"Oh, you know that's not what I meant," she snapped, tucking her dagger away. "I meant that if she's going to do her job properly, Evie will have to get to know the blokes who want to get married, and she can't do that if they're tiptoeing around and avoiding her at every turn! She's not a bloody witch, she's the answer to their prayers, and if we don't do something, she's going to be with us until they're all old, grey, and still single."

"Alright, you have a point," Gibbs conceded, finally tucking his flask away. "So how do we go about doing it?"

She grinned, a sight that sent a shiver of dread down his spine.

* * *

'_I cannot believe she talked me into this_,' Gibbs thought to himself as he waited for Evie to emerge from the galley.

It was presently his job to casually introduce Evie to others on the ship. Anna-Maria had stated that, as the ship's first mate, it was up to him to set the example and "bring the men around" when it came to making Evie part of their group.

Not that he had anything against the lass. She seemed to enjoy spending time with him, and with Cotton and Anna-Maria, though why she liked spending more than a few minutes in Anna's company was beyond him. Perhaps it was a female thing.

Seeing the young woman make her way up to the top deck, Gibbs motioned for her to join him by the main mast, where two large coils of rope sat. Evie's eyes sparked with interest, and she quickly came over as he took a seat on one of the coils and motioned for her to take the other, which she happily did.

"Today, we're going to continue on the Code," he said, making himself comfortable.

A few of the men around him paused in their work, interested in spite of themselves. It wasn't often that an outsider learned about the secret Code that all pirates (well, the decent ones, anyway) lived by; even rarer was that it was a gentlewoman doing the learning. Their interest was what Gibbs was hoping for, but right now he pretended that he didn't notice them.

"Now, where were we?" he asked, looking over at his student.

"The Pirate King and his election," Evie replied, stretching her legs out and crossing them at the knee to make herself more comfortable.

Gibbs nodded and continued on that topic, explaining that each Pirate Lord always voted for themselves, and the King only won by popular vote.

"But if each Lord votes for him- or herself, how were the past Kings elected?" Evie asked, clearly stumped.

"There's only been one King, and that was because it was an emergency," someone put in.

Gibbs knew who had spoken, but both he and Evie turned to look in the speaker's direction. It was Marty, the smallest crewman, and though he might have been a dwarf, he was tough as nails and just as sharp. Normally, he wore a glaring look that could peel paint, but now, the expression on his face hinted of the knowledge he had to offer.

Evie, ever curious, asked, "What was the emergency?"

Marty shook his head. "It's not something we talk about, considering that most of us don't even know. It was centuries ago; nothing to do with us now."

Seeing her disappointment, Marty looked at her in suspicion. "Why's a lady like you wanting to know about pirates, anyway?"

She gave him a stubborn glare, one that rivaled the one he was leveling at her. "The things I knew before about pirates couldn't fill a thimble, but if you want me to find brides for you, I need to know more about you. I have to know what kind of men you are, and since none of you want to speak to me, learning about piracy from Mr. Gibbs and Anna-Maria is the next best thing."

Some of the men looked surprised, others puzzled, and a few actually looked ashamed. Apparently they hadn't given thought to how the matchmaking process worked, and had thought it would be a simple matter of Evie using a magic wand to find them mates.

This was obvious to her, too, because she shook her head in frustration and headed off to her cabin, muttering curses under her breath.

Chuckling, Gibbs pulled his flask from his belt and took a drink, letting the situation absorb into the crew's thick skulls. Hopefully, things would improve. If not, Anna-Maria would make another plan, of that he had no doubt.

* * *

The change in the men's attitudes was surprising, and rather puzzling. First they couldn't bear to talk to me, and now they wanted to be courteous and introduce themselves. Some had even tried to apologize for their behavior over the past seven days, which was an even bigger surprise.

Well, I wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth, so I accepted the apologies with grace and a kind smile, which seemed to reassure them a little and made it easier for them to speak to me.

I, of course, had expected a group of ill-mannered men with a severe lack of hygiene –even Jack and Mr. Gibbs has a small aversion to using soap on a regular basis. However, the men were only slightly cleanlier than I'd previously thought, and some of them actually took the time to shave every other day or so. My nose was very thankful for that.

And they weren't all ill-mannered, though most were rough around the edges. However, when a man spends much of his life at sea, fighting for treasure and life, it was really no wonder they lacked a certain bit of etiquette. Luckily, I was somewhat prepared for this, and dealt with it accordingly.

The first to fully accept me, besides Gibbs, Mr. Cotton and Anna-Maria, was Marty the dwarf. Following in Gibbs's and Anna-Maria's example, Marty had apparently decided that I was worth knowing, and approached me in the galley.

"Brought you some apples," he gruffly said, offering me a sack of them. "Think you can use them for something?"

I thought about it. I wasn't much for desserts or baking, but I could add a bit of cinnamon and sugar to make the insides of an apple pie. I couldn't bake actual pies without burning them, but the fillings always turned out well. I asked Marty if that would be alright, and was surprised at excitement he showed.

"We haven't had anything like that in ages," he said, rubbing his small hands together. "Much obliged, Miss Evie."

I hadn't expected that, particularly since Marty was one of the few who _didn't_ want a wife, and had no reason to try and be on my "good side." Still, it was a step forward, and a very good sign.

* * *

After nine days at sea, we finally pulled into port. Though it was a tiny town not even on a map, the men were more than excited. I myself was thrilled at the prospect of being on solid land again, and was also eager to put myself to work at what I did best: matchmaking.

Jack pulled the ship up to the dock, and once the anchor was let go, he addressed his men in a very pirate-like formal fashion. However, since I was in my cabin making a list of things to buy while we were here, I missed it the entire thing. I'm sure it was very inspirational.

"Done scribbling yet?" asked a voice from my doorway.

I looked up to see Jack standing there. Smiling, I turned back towards my list. "Just a moment. You know us females and our need for certain things we _must_ have."

He sighed, and though I couldn't see it, I knew he was rolling his eyes. "Aye, but we've three or four days in this port. Come and join us for a drink."

Blowing on the ink to dry it, I folded the list and tucked it into one of my pockets. "No, thank you. I don't drink."

Jack rolled his eyes (again), and came over to stand before me. "Evie, if you don't have any fun, you'll turn into one of those boring Navy types. And if that happens, I shall never forgive myself, savvy? So just come have a mug of _something_ with us, be it rum or water, and forget your troubles for a bit."

I sighed. "Oh, alright, just this once. But only if you promise that we get to go to the market first thing tomorrow!"

He raised his right hand. "I swear that I shall take you to the best market stalls and shops tomorrow morning. Now, shall we?"

Since he took my hand and pulled me from my room, I had little choice but to obey.

* * *

I decided two things very quickly. The first thing was that "land legs" were hard to get back after so long at sea. Secondly, I did _not_ like the hideouts that Jack and his crew frequented. They smelled, were filthy (or at least fairly dirty), and the food and drink looked more than questionable. And yet, somehow, Jack managed to get a clean mug of water for me, and the serving girl brought me a clean platter of rolls and cold meat to go along with it.

All around the long table that the Pearl's crew occupied, men drank, ate, talked, and laughed heartily, slapping each other on the back and elbowing their neighbors to share jokes. Jack sat at the head of the table, of course, with me to his left and Gibbs to his right. Anna-Maria, who was to play my bodyguard, sat to my left, carefully eying our surroundings as she drank and ate food off of my plate.

"So, Gibbs," Jack said, leaning back in his chair. "How's Miss Evie doing with her lessons?"

His first mate swallowed his rum and smiled. "She's a hard worker, Captain," Gibbs stated, accepting a slab of meat off the platter I offered him. "Though I should mention that she's getting rather bored and would like to have a few more things to do."

Jack looked thoughtful. "Well, what skills do you have that could be of use to us? It's clear you can cook-"

"Aye, and with a will," Marty put in, nodding at me. He'd been my supporter since I'd made the apple pie filling.

"-but what else have you to offer?" Jack finished, ignoring the outburst.

"I can sew, dust, do laundry for _one_ person, and cook," I replied. "And of course, my personal skill: matchmaking."

"She can mend sails," Marty suggested.

Jack looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, Evie, you get your wish. We've got more ripped and moth-eaten canvas than we know what to do with, so you've got the heavy job of inspecting and fixing it."

He held up a forefinger to hold off any interruptions. "However, that will only be while we're at sea. Whenever we're in port, you'll do your original task of finding brides for the lads who want them, savvy?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Captain," I said, taking a drink of my water. "I'll get started right away. Who knows, we might find a bride for someone before we leave."

Jack nodded and took a swig of his rum as Gibbs pulled him into conversation. Meanwhile, Anna-Maria nudged me in the side to get my attention.

"Do you really think you could find a wife for someone in this town?" she whispered.

I shrugged. "I like to be optimistic. Though I have to admit, a ship full of married men and their wives might prove to be a bit much for the Pearl to handle."

"Oh, most of the wives will stay elsewhere," Anna said with a wave of her hand. "They wouldn't be able to handle our lifestyle. Only a few select women might stay aboard, and only if the Captain approves."

"Well, that doesn't sound so bad," I said, stuffing some meat into my mouth.

My eyes and mind, however, were busy studying my surroundings. I could see several women giving the men of the Pearl a good look, but most of them were "night flowers," and not marriageable material.

The serving girl at the bar, however, looked quite promising…

* * *

AN: Review?


	7. A Place for Everyone

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I own nothing related to _**Pirates of the Caribbean**_. That belongs to Jerry Bruckheimer, Disney, and a bunch of other people. Only original characters and plotlines are mine.

AN: Another day, another update, which I hope that everyone enjoys. Thanks so much for reading, and please don't forget to review!

**Chapter 7: A Place for Everyone:**

As the men of the Black Pearl ate, drank, and entertained their way through the evening, I was busy studying the women serving in the tavern, doing what I did best.

Much to my disappointment, many of the women weren't really fit for any kind of permanent relationship with a man. Most of the females were older, seasoned wenches, likely trained in more than just serving food and drinks, and they clearly had no intention of taking anything further than one evening with a customer.

As for the younger girls, a few of them seemed just as focused on their 'nighttime work' than anything else. The ones who _weren't_ in the trade of wenching were either dim-witted, or too shy to put themselves forward.

But there was one who had my attention: the plain, meek little thing behind the counter.

She was plain in every sense of the word, so much so that if a person were asked to describe her, they wouldn't even remember having met her. The girl stood about five feet tall, and possessed a head of lank hair that was a pale brown, as well as a narrow face with a tiny trace of pink in the cheeks and lips.

'_She has the prettiest blue-green eyes, though_,' I admitted.

And much to my relief, she appeared to be as sweet and gentle as the women around her were harsh and loud. I instantly knew that this tavern wasn't the right place for her, and could feel that she was meant for a warm house somewhere, married to a good man who would care for her.

Reaching over, I patted Jack's arm to get his attention. "Captain?" I whispered. "I think I've found a potential bride for one of your crew."

I bit back my laughter as he almost choked on his rum. "What?" Jack gasped after regaining his senses. "Already? You do work quickly, don't you?"

"More like it's just a stroke of luck," I replied. "Now, there will be a few problems in regards to where the poor lass is going to stay until I can pair her with one of the crew. Not to mention which member will take a shine to her, who she will end up with, and where you are going to put the wives of your crewmen once I find them."

The look on Jack's face was one of bewilderment and concern. He clearly hadn't given this plan of his much thought, and I could clearly see a spark of panic forming in those dark eyes of his. The hand that was clutching his mug tensed, and I anxiously waited to see what he was going to do next.

* * *

Inside of Jack's head, a million thoughts were going off at once. It was fairly obvious that neither he nor Gibbs had thought this little idea of his through, and now Jack was going to have to do some fast thinking.

First, where to put potential brides on the Pearl? Neither Evie nor Anna-Maria were going to give up their cabins, and stowing women with the crew was _not_ an option! Even Cotton's parrot knew better than _that_!

'_Then I'll have to find a permanent place to store them_,' Jack thought to himself, scowling as he took a deep drink from his tankard. '_Gah, I'm making them sound like kegs of gun powder instead of actual people_.'

Wait a moment! There were a few storage rooms standing empty, the places where the crew stored the empty powder kegs before refilling them in port. Once they cleaned those rooms up, put a bed in there and a bit of furniture, they'd have a rather nice area set up for those potential brides.

As for a more permanent place, there were few places that Jack could think of to stash the wives of his pirate crew. They had to be kept safe from the law, and away from any enemies that Jack or his men might make. Such places were rare in the world, and Jack did not relish the idea of finding such a haven.

Just then, an idea tickled the back of his head. There _was_ one place where pirates were welcome, and which was kept secret and safe from those who didn't sail under pirate colors. That place was Shipwreck Island.

The isolated, secret island would be the ideal place to stash the women acquired for his men. It was a fortress that was well-supplied with food and goods coming in from numerous sources, and it had its own freshwater source. Plus, given that it was immense and more than half-empty, there was always room there for more inhabitants.

'_Besides, Dad might like hearing the sound of children running through the halls. He always said the place was too quiet, which is funny, considering how many older pirates live there with their wenches_…'

And given that the older generation had rarely produced little ones, the place was growing quieter by the day. Jack had little doubt that most of his father's old crew would welcome little tikes or lasses to bounce on their knees and tell their old stories and adventures to.

He glanced over at Evie, who was looking at him in worry. "Luv, I think I know the perfect place."

* * *

I was shocked that he actually agreed with me, and so quickly. "Oh, really?" I managed to stammer before taking a sip of my water.

"Of course," Jack replied. "It makes sense that we put all the ladies in one place. Can't have them settle in a 'proper' town, where they'll always worry that someone will find out their husbands are pirates."

"And it'd be nice not having to travel to a dozen different ports so that the lads can visit their mates in the first place," Marty put in, taking a drink from his own cup.

"Aye, there's that too," Jack acknowledged. "Can't have men getting jealous when one or two of them get time with their wife and the others have to wait for their particular 'stop.'"

I sighed in relief. "Wonderful. And what about temporary quarters for those who have to stay aboard until we next visit this…destination of yours?"

He shrugged. "We've got a storage rooms where we keep empty crates and barrels, but most of the time the spaces are half-empty. I figure we can clear them out completely, or make the barrels and crates into rough tables or stools as we clean the rooms up. We can move beds in and it should be right as rain. What do ye say?"

I nodded. "That sounds alright. It'll give the married pairs some privacy, which is important. Hopefully we won't have too many pairs aboard before we reach –I'm sorry, where are we going to take the women to?"

"Shipwreck Island," Jack replied, causing a few crew members to choke on their rum. "Aye, it'll be the perfect place! Lots of room for women and future children alike, and it's a pirate haven, so why not?"

"Shipwreck Island?" I asked, looking over at Gibbs.

"It's where the Pirate Lords meet whenever there's an emergency concerning the future of piracy," he replied. "Never thought it'd be a good place to raise a family, though."

Jack waved aside his first mate's concerns. "It'll be fine. After all, I came up with the idea, didn't I?"

Groaning, I went back to my food and drink.

* * *

The next morning, while the crew tried to sleep off the night before, I headed back to the tavern with Anna-Maria, my guard. Unlike the men, we were feeling refreshed after a full night's sleep; the others had stumbled aboard in the early hours of the morning, or so Anna-Maria had reported to me. Since she'd escorted me home last night, Anna had gotten a full night's sleep, and was almost chipper (for her) as we headed into our destination.

I was relieved to see that it was not only open, but the girl I had spotted was there as well. Standing behind the counter, she was focused entirely on cleaning and drying mugs while the other women served drinks and breakfast to the few patrons they had.

"Something for ye two ladies?" drawled a male voice to our left.

Turning, I saw that it was an older man, balding on top, with white hair around the outside of his head. He resembled a squinting pig, and he was just as dirty and smelly as one, too.

"I was merely wondering if I could have a word with the girl behind the counter," I said casually, feeling Anna-Maria sliding protectively up beside me. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see her hand slowly drifting towards her cutlass.

"Penny?" the man asked suspiciously. "What's the girl done? If she stole your man or some nonsense, you'll have to come pick a fight with her after breakfast."

"No, no, it's nothing like that," I assured him. "I just want to talk to her…maybe while my friend and I eat?"

The prospect of bringing in more custom was enough to pacify him. "Aye, go ahead. Just make sure you don't distract her too much –the little thing is a tad bit jumpy, and I hate paying for broken things."

Rolling my eyes, I turned towards the bar and took a seat right. It was hard getting her attention, as she kept her eyes focused on her work, and the only time she spoke was to take our orders. Once a plate of eggs, bread and cheese were set before me and Anna, I ordered a mug of fruit juice from Penny and smiled kindly at her.

"So, your employer tells me your name is Penny," I said, attempting to start a conversation.

She flushed and looked away while muttering, "Yes, Miss."

I peeked around, and saw that the pig-like owner was out of sight. "Tell me, Penny, how would you like to get out of this tavern for good?"

* * *

Convincing Penny to leave wasn't as difficult as I thought. She apparently hated the tavern (who could blame her?), and was more than willing to do anything to get away. Anna-Maria and I provided the perfect excuse, and a few coins tossed at the tavern owner appeased whatever arguments he had about losing one of his serving girls.

I had thought that, after finding out what kind of ship it was, Penny might change her mind and decide to run. Instead, I was amazed at how calm and excited she was as Anna led her onto the deck.

"I've seen and met plenty of pirates in my life, Miss Watkins," she told me as we walked below decks. "Some were good, some bad, but that's to be expected. I'd heard that the men of the Black Pearl were not only pirates, but that most of them were good sorts. So the way I see, there shouldn't be much of a problem for me settling onboard for a while."

And that was that. Anna and I spent the next day getting to know Penny while the men cleaned out and (sparsely) furnished the makeshift cabins. The moment one of the rooms was finished, we settled her there, which didn't take long –she had few possessions, and was used to living in small spaces, so it was not much of a new experience for her.

However, the idea of possibly marrying one of the crew was, to her, a little nerve-wracking. Like many other women, she'd seen marriages turn sour, and was more than a little worried that this might happen to her as well.

"If you don't 'take' to any of the men, I'm sure Captain Sparrow will leave you in whatever port you wish," Anna-Maria told her, though I knew she was praying that it would work. "And you won't be forced to marry anyone. We can promise you that."

It wasn't until we were back at sea that I realized we had another problem: Penny needed to earn her keep, and Jack had already given me most of what he and the crew deemed "female work," meaning the chores in the kitchen and the mending of sails.

It was Penny who came up with the solution. Apparently she was very good at cleaning and organizing things, so Gibbs assigned her the task of organizing the galley's storeroom. Since it had just been restocked, and it had always been a mess since long before I came aboard, that was no easy task.

Penny had it completely organized within three days.

It was a feat that impressed everyone, and it made things so much easier on Mr. Cotton that the old man practically hugged the life out of her when he saw how tidy the place was.

After that, Mr. Gibbs decided to give Penny the nearly impossible task of organizing the storage rooms that housed the other supplies on the Pearl. He also assigned Marty the Dwarf as a helper to her, explaining that Marty would be able to answer any questions that Penny might have about the supplies and what they were used for.

Even I couldn't have imagined what happened next.

* * *

"He's smitten with her," I murmured to Anna as we relaxed in the afternoon sun.

She looked over at me, puzzled. "Who's smitten with who?"

"Marty," I replied, looking off from our position at the bow of the ship towards the mast. "He's smitten with Penny."

Anna shook her head in amazement. "I never thought he'd show interest in any woman –he's always been a firm bachelor. But you're right: there he is, sitting next to her and actually _smiling_ a bit! When was the last time you saw Marty _smile_?"

That was a good question. The answer to that was: never. Well, alright, almost never, but still, it was hard to remember when I saw the tiny man show any emotion other than 'grumpy.'

But I have to admit, I never thought that Marty of all people would find a match with one of the women I'd brought onboard. I'd intended for Penny to possibly like one of the men who were less rough around the edges, but I couldn't complain –at least I'd found a marriageable girl who could love a pirate, and gotten her onboard the ship.

Glancing at the mast, I saw Penny seated on an overturned bucket with Marty beside her. They were chatting comfortably together as she braided a set of thin ribbons together and he carved something out of a piece of wood. It was a rather homey image –the two of them sitting together like a married couple beside a fire, talking over nothing or everything…

Something dropped beside me right before it smacked me in the arm, drawing my attention. It was Mr. Cotton's parrot, and it was eyeing me closely as it whistled and clacked its beak at me. Sighing, I reaching into a pouch on my belt and drew out a dry biscuit, which I swiftly broke in half. One half went to the bird, which 'chuckled' and daintily accepted his treat with one claw.

"Silly bird," I muttered, reaching out to catch whatever bits and pieces fell while it ate.

When it finished the biscuit in general, the bird squawked and leaned forward to finish what lay in my palm. After those were gone, I reached out and gently scratched along its head. A contented low trill flowed from its beak, and Anna laughed.

"You spoil that bird, Evie" she chided me. "Honestly, you shouldn't feed it every time it asks you to. It's bad for it."

I continued scratching the bird as it tilted its head one way and another in an attempt to have all of its itches soothed. "Well, I can't help it. He's just such a pretty bird." I smiled at it. "You are a pretty bird, aren't you?" I cooed to it.

"_Rawk_, pretty bird!" it said, echoing my words.

I laughed and gently gathered it up in my arms. "Come on, Anna. Let's get Cotton's voice back to him."

* * *

"She really is something, isn't she, Gibbs?" Jack asked from his place at the helm.

"Aye," his first mate agreed. "Not only does she work hard, she gets things done fast. Just look at what she did with that lass, Penny!"

Jack smiled. "Aye, I never thought I'd see the day where of all the men of my crew, _Marty_ would find a bonny lass to call his own!"

Gibbs took a swig from his flask. "Don't get your hopes up about me, though, Captain," he warned. "You know how I feel about such things."

"And yet, you've managed to get used to having not only one, but _two_ women aboard the Pearl," Jack teased. "I think our Evie might have you happily paired off before she departs the Pearl for good."

His first mate snorted his disbelief and left, muttering to himself about the dangers of marriage and women who disliked men and their drinking. Jack couldn't resist a chuckle at his friend's expense, his amusement lingering as he watched Evie descend into the bowels of the Pearl.

Yes, she was a special young lady indeed. Jack greatly admired her ability to find a good, marriageable woman so quickly, especially in an old, rundown tavern. Who knows –if they ever stopped in Tortuga on the right day, she might even find a handful of wives for the men!

'_Not me, though_,' Jack smirked. '_It'll take a very long time indeed to find Captain Jack Sparrow a decent wife, if she finds one for me at all_!'

He honestly had no hopes when it came to Evie finding him a bride. If she somehow managed to find wives for the crewmen that desired them, but didn't find one for him, Jack was willing to pay her off and leave her wherever she wanted. True, it was his plan to find a wife, but having a plan and actually succeeding in following it through were two completely different things altogether!

"Always remember, Jackie," a voice warned in his head, "There comes a time in nearly every man's life where he wants to marry, start a family, and eventually settle down. Just look at me and your mum."

He shuddered at his father's lingering words. Teague had told him that long ago, when Jack had reached that particular age where men enjoyed the company of many women and all they had to offer. Still, just because most men (including some of Jack's own crew!) wanted to "settle" and marry, that didn't mean all men did.

"And certainly not me," Jack muttered to himself. He was quite content with the wenches he found in port…when he could get them.

No, certainly not for him.

* * *

AN: Review?


	8. Against Captain's Orders

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own anything related to _**Pirates of the Caribbean**_. Well, except a Jack Sparrow poster, but that's pretty much it. Only original creations (characters, places, etc) are mine.

AN: Happy Friday, everyone! Please enjoy the chapter, and don't forget to review. Thanks!

**Chapter 8: Against Captain's Orders:**

Into my second month aboard the Pearl, I had to admit it: I was in over my head.

First, life aboard a pirate ship wasn't all fun and games; it's also about raids and pillaging, which happened a few times since I'd come aboard. Each of those times I'd been ordered to stay with Penny in her cabin down below, and the two of us had sat breathless and scared while the men did what pirates do to earn a living. It was terrifying and thrilling at the same time, and I silently hoped that I'd get used to it…eventually. It's rather difficult to get used to cannons going off, gunfire, cursing, shouting, and fighting going on around you.

Then there was the fact that getting to know the men of the Pearl was proving harder than I thought. I knew them either by name or by sight, as most of them had introduced themselves to me, but I was _very slowly_ beginning to be acquainted with them. So far, only Gibbs and Marty considered me a friend, but at least I knew the crewmen to be good fellows –they deserved to have good women as brides.

The problem I was having, however, was _finding_ those brides.

Born and raised in a small town, I was used to knowing everyone around me, which made it easier to pair someone with the right person. Even those traveling through Port Thomas had remained in town long enough for me to get to know them, and to find their ideal mate. I was used to taking the time to get to know my clients, and take mental notes on the kind of man or woman they desired –or the man or woman I thought would be good for them, which was a whole other matter altogether. This system well, and thus far, it had yet to fail me.

But circumstances were quite different now. Even though I was vaguely familiar with the crewmen's personalities and could form a basic guess as to what type of woman might fit them, I had a very short time span in which to work.

It was the fact that we never stayed in a port longer than a few days that drove me mad. How was I supposed to find women for the crew when I barely had enough time to set foot into town? It didn't help that Jack only allowed me off the Pearl when everyone headed to the local tavern or inn. If I was lucky, Anna-Maria and/or Gibbs would escort me to the local marketplace so I could buy personal necessities, but that was all.

Jack, meanwhile, was proving less than helpful. Several weeks into my stay aboard, I had approached him, asking that we stay in port an extra day or two so that I could find a few women for the crew. He refused.

"We're pirates, luv," he said, shaking his head. "We never stay in one place too long because we can't risk being caught by the Navy. The sooner we get our business and pleasure done, the better, especially since dancing at the end of a noose is not on my 'to-do' list."

"But how am I supposed to do what you're paying me to do?" I snapped. "Finding brides isn't easy, and it's especially hard when you never let me off the ship for more than an hour or two at a time! How am I supposed to work around that kind of restraint?"

Jack only shrugged. "You'll figure something out," he said, and dismissed me from his cabin.

Infuriating man! He couldn't –or wouldn't– understand that when it came to matchmaking, it took a great deal of effort to make the right pairings –and in my current circumstances, the first step was to find the right woman. I could usually tell if a woman was a good sort or not, but how was that going to happen when Jack wouldn't let me go out and _look_ for them?

When I voiced my frustrations to Anna-Maria, she shook her head. "Considering that he saw how quickly you picked Penny out of a crowd of serving wenches, you can't really blame Jack for having full faith in your abilities. He probably figures you can do that again, and just as fast."

I snorted and crossed my arms. "I was lucky, that's all. And since we've stopped in half a dozen ports in the past seven weeks without adding a single female to those cabins down below decks, you can see how this is going."

That was true enough. So far, there was only Penny aboard, and she was quite obviously taken with Marty, and vise versa. Since Marty was well-liked among the crew, the other men didn't dare try to steal Penny away from him, not if they wanted to live to see tomorrow morning.

"This is impossible, Anna," I groaned, rubbing my head with both hands. "If we managed to stay in one place longer than three days, and if Jack would only give me more time on land _without_ an intimidating armed escort, I could find maybe two or three women to bring aboard."

"Aye, that's true enough," Anna mused. "The Captain doesn't like the idea of you getting hurt when you're under his protection."

"_Your_ protection," I said, "not his. He rarely sees me whenever we're in port. The only time he sees me is when I have dinner with him in his cabin, and since I've taken to eating all my meals with you in your cabin, that's a rare occurrence."

She rolled her eyes. "Evie, believe me, you _are_ under Jack's protection. He's given his word as Captain to keep you safe, and safe is we will keep you."

I threw a teasing glance at her. "So you're keeping me safe because he's ordered you to, not because you like me as a friend?"

Laughing, Anna reached out and smacked me in the arm. "Silly girl, what's in your head? Of course I'm your friend!"

Chuckling, I relaxed and settled own on a barrel. "But how am I going to get things _done_?" I asked, trying to keep our conversation on track. "At the rate I'm going, I won't finish my end of the bargain until we're all as grey as Mr. Gibbs!"

"I heard that!" he said from where he worked, ten paces away. Those within hearing distance gave a short laugh before returning to work.

When amusement faded, Anna's face grew somber. "Well, if the Captain's not willing to give you help, then I guess I'll have to."

Rather than comfort me, her words actually made me begin to worry. "Anna, what's going on inside that mind of yours?" I asked suspiciously. "Nothing dangerous, I hope."

She smiled at me. "You'll just have to wait and see the next time we're in port."

* * *

"So that's what has to happen," Anna declared that night, after she finished telling her plan. "What do you say?"

The few trusted crewmen she'd brought in on this idea just stared at her. "Are you mad?" blurted out a crewman named Rannoch. Gibbs and Mr. Cotton nodded their agreement.

Rannoch was Irish to the core, with flaming red hair and grey-green eyes that were currently snapping with frustration. He was also the tallest man on the Pearl, as well as the strongest, so even though Anna wanted to give him a tongue lashing, she held back.

"No, I'm _not_ mad," she snapped, hands on hips. "But if any of the men want to find a bonny lass to settle down with, Evie has to find women, and she can't do that with all those foolish restrictions the Captain's got her under."

"But sneaking the poor girl into town?" Rannoch asked worriedly. "What if something happens to her on our watch? It'll be our heads if the Captain finds out we let the little thing get hurt!"

Anna had to hide a smile. For all that he was big and strong, Rannoch genuinely feared the wrath of his captain, who was, after all, legendary when it came to handling a sword and pistol.

"Then we don't let him find out," she said. "Since I know you're one of the men who wants a wife, you might as well help her find one for you. Otherwise, you're stuck being as you are."

He rolled his eyes. "Alright, you win. Next port we pull into, you, me, Gibbs and Miss Evie will head off to track down a few lasses."

She couldn't hold back a smug smirk. "I knew you'd see it my way."

* * *

"You want me to _what_?" I gasped. "I can't do that! What if Jack finds out?"

We were in the galley's supply room, and Anna had just told me her harebrained idea of sneaking off the Pearl as soon as Jack led the men into town for their "nightly activities."

"Honestly, Evie, how else are you going to get off this ship and do what you were hired to do?" she demanded, rolling her eyes in annoyance. "Besides, we're pirates; we're free to do what we have to in order to get what we want. And we won't necessarily be going against Captain's orders, either."

Rannoch grinned. He'd been one of the crewmembers who hovered shyly in the background when I was nearby, but he was a decent sort of fellow. "Aye, the Captain never said we couldn't take you out and about –he just said you aught to stay aboard for your safety and travel with him in a large group. Trust us, you'll be safe, since there'll be at least two or three of us when you go out."

"And considering how hard you've worked learning to defend yourself, it's about time for you to put those skills to work. So, what do ye say?" Anna asked, grinning broadly at me. "Come on, Evie, I can't have spent all that time teaching you knife fighting for nothing!"

I smiled weakly in return. "Let's do it."

* * *

_Agreeing_ to do something and actually _doing_ it are two completely different things, particularly when it came to sneaking off of the Pearl.

When we pulled into port three days after my talk with Rannoch and Anna, my stomach was in knots. As darkness fell, Jack handed each of the men some coins to spend, then gave a day and time to return to the Pearl. Some immediately headed off on their own (including Marty and Penny), while others formed groups and wandered into certain taverns or parts of town. As usual, Jack assigned men to watch the Pearl while he and his own group of crewmen headed into town.

"Care to join us, Evie?" he asked, looking over at where I stood with Anna and Gibbs.

I usually ended up going, if only for a little while, but tonight I had a different plan. "No, thank you," I politely answered. "I think I'll wait for tomorrow. There are a few things I need to take care of first."

He shrugged. "Suit yourself. Come on, lads!"

As soon as he was out of sight, we let out a breath of relief. "Alright, Evie, let's go before you change your mind," Anna said, grabbing my arm. "Did you remember to arm yourself?"

She'd bought a lovely set of knives with whalebone handles for me a few weeks back, and had taken the time to show me where and how to hide them on my person. There was one in my boot, two on my hips, and one up my left sleeve. There was a fifth knife that was supposed to go in the small of my back, but I wasn't comfortable wearing it yet.

"Armed and ready," I nervously replied. "Can we get this over with while it's still light out? Going into a strange town at night doesn't sound very appealing."

Rannoch chuckled and came to stand behind me. "Well, with me standing at your back, you won't have to worry much. Let's go."

* * *

I was lucky this time. The town was rather small, but the center bustling. With so many women about, I quickly scanned the crowd and decided to ignore anyone above the working class. A wife with expensive tastes was out of the question –any woman who married a pirate and chose to live on land had to support herself when her husband couldn't send money to her.

'_Hmm…not stall keepers_,' I thought to myself. Stall keepers tended to think highly of themselves, and arrogant women meant arrogant wives.

Servant girls might do, as they were used to work, but then, they tended to be rather free with themselves. Scullery girls would probably be better…

"Spare a penny, miss?" pleaded a voice from my right.

I turned. Standing at the mouth of a small alleyway was a scrawny girl a few inches shorter than me, clad in patched clothing. Huge emerald-green eyes stared out from under a brown shawl that draped over her head. From beneath the shawl, I could see strands of lank black hair dangling around her pale face. My heart immediately went out to her, though I saw Anna-Maria's hand drift towards her sword.

"Careful, Evie," my friend whispered to me. "Sometimes beggar girls have a man hiding in the shadows, just waiting to club you on the head once they've got your alone."

Taking her advice to heart, I waved the girl over to me. "I'll do better than a penny," I offered. "How about you join us for a meal instead?"

The grateful look on the girl's face almost had me in tears.

* * *

Her name was Selene, and she'd once been a servant in one of the town's finest homes. Her job had been to wait on the young daughter of a merchant, and she had happily done so. True, her mistress had been vain and occasionally rude to her servants, but that was to be expected in a girl of high class.

What Selene hadn't expected was to be cast out of her employer's house six months later on a false charge. The lady of the house had apparently misplaced a necklace of value, and since Selene was the youngest and newest servant, she was instantly labeled as a thief.

"After my belongings were searched and the necklace not found, I was simply turned out," she said over her meal of stewed beef, potatoes, and bread. "The necklace was found in the daughter's room –she'd borrowed it without permission and hadn't returned it before her mother noticed its absence. The family was too proud to admit its wrongdoing, so I wasn't given my position back."

"Rich folk," Anna sneered in contempt. The others, including myself, agreed.

"So here you are, eating in a side tavern with four people you don't know," I said, smiling kindly at her. "Is begging what you've come down to?"

Selene nodded. "I can't find work elsewhere because of the influence my former employers have –if they say I'm a thief, even without proof, the rest of the town will still believe it. That's why no one else will have me work for them, nor will any man here take me as a wife." She swallowed harshly. "The only ones who show me pity are outsiders."

I immediately threw a glance over at Anna-Maria, who was trying to signal 'no' to me without attracting Selene's attention. Obviously, she was suspicious, but given how thin, pale, and sickly the poor girl looked, I very much believed her story.

"Selene," I drawled, "How do you feel about sailing?"

* * *

"Oh, my," she breathed, staring at the tall, dark ship. "Are you sure about this? I mean, will they really accept me onboard?"

On our way back to the Pearl, I had told her about the crewmen wanting wives, and that I thought she might suit at least one of them. She had been uneasy at first, but given that she was being taken far away from the town that had done her wrong, Selene was more than willing to come aboard and marry a sailor.

"Besides, as long as I meet a few good fellows, and have the chance of marrying one of them, I've nothing to complain about," she said, smiling as she clutched her satchel, which held all of her belongings.

I'd also promised that, should she not find any crewman to her liking, the Captain would let her off whenever or wherever she chose. "At least you can be sure that, as long as you work hard and earn your keep, you'll at least be well-fed," I declared while leading her aboard and down to the 'women's cabins.'

Down below, I introduced her to Penny, who had apparently just returned. The two girls were a bit shy at first, but soon Penny was fussing over the small, frail-looking Selene and pressing food into the girl's hands.

"Don't be afraid to ask Evie for food if you're hungry," Penny told her. "She works in the kitchen, and is always generous."

"You'll have the cabin next door to Penny's," I said, motioning to the wall on the left. "But if things start to become crowded down here, you might have to share. I hope you don't mind."

Selene gave me a soft smile. "It's more than I could have hoped for. If not for you, I'd be sleeping on a bit of sand or dirt tonight, and with an empty belly to boot. If sharing a cabin means I'll have a roof over my head, so be it."

Penny nodded her agreement. "Now, why don't you head up on deck, Evie, and I'll help her get settled?"

Chuckling, I did as ordered and went back to the dock, where Gibbs, Anna and Rannoch were waiting.

"So, how'd it go?" Anna asked.

I smiled. "Perfectly," I replied. "Penny welcomed her with open arms, and I think Selene will work hard to earn her keep, so that's that."

"Are you off for the town, or are you going to settle in for the night?" Rannoch asked, eyes drifting towards the horizon. "It's rather late, and I'd like to get a bit of shut-eye before my watch."

"Nah, I think I'll stay aboard," I said. "I'm going to raid the galley and see if I can find something for supper."

"It's the taverns for me," Gibbs declared. "What about you, Anna?"

She looked over at me. "Oh, go have fun," I told her. "You deserve it, and I won't be in your way tonight."

She grinned. "You're a good friend, Evie. Alright, Gibbs, let's see if we can catch up with the Captain and see how drunk he's gotten so far."

We all shared a laugh at that. Anna and Gibbs then headed off into town while I helped myself to some supper, and Rannoch headed down to the crew's quarters.

Later, I fell asleep feeling very satisfied with my work this day.

* * *

AN: Review?


	9. Another Day, Another Potential Bride

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own anything related to _**Pirates of the Caribbean**_. Well, except a Jack Sparrow poster, but that's pretty much it. Only original creations (characters, places, etc) are mine.

AN: Here's this week's chapter. Thanks so much for reading, and please don't forget to review!

**Chapter 9: Another Day, Another Potential Bride:**

We left port about three days after I'd brought Selene aboard the Pearl. Remarkably, Jack didn't find out about her until after we'd headed to sea, and when he did, he merely thought I'd somehow located her on one of my (short) escorted trips into town. The man probably thought I worked miracles, and I didn't have the heart to contradict him.

And since he didn't know of my sneaking off into town without his permission, I never received a lecture, which only made me more confident in my efforts. As soon as we all had a spare moment after castoff, I secretly hunkered down with Anna, Gibbs, Cotton, and Rannoch to plan our next venture for a potential bride.

"A pity you couldn't find more back there," Gibbs lamented. "One lass is hardly what I'd call a success."

"Well, I'm mostly looking for _quality_, Gibbs, over quantity," I joked with a smile. "Don't worry –over time, I'm sure others will be found."

"Not too much time, I hope," Marty put in. At Anna's suggestion, he'd been brought into our little 'conspiracy' of going out behind Jack's back. "I know that more than a few lads have been eyeing Miss Selene."

"Aye, she's a pretty little thing, no mistake," Rannoch muttered, crossing his very muscular arms. "She even mended my shirts for me."

"And they look a lot more decent than when _you_ used to do it," Anna teased. We all laughed as Rannoch's cheeks turned pink.

"Well, all we can do now is wait," I said. "As soon as we get the chance, I'll head out to find a few other women to join Penny and Selene down below. Who wants to go with me this time? I think Anna deserves a rest from playing watchdog over me, don't you?"

Cotton shook his head, but Rannoch raised his hand, and to my surprise, so did Anna-Maria.

"You need another woman to keep an eye out for you, Evie," she said. "Besides, while I'm out with you, I get a chance to do some actual female shopping that I can't do with the men around. Lord knows they hate looking at womanly things, unless it's a bribe for their nighttime companion."

"We resent that," chorused the men, with Cotton's bird squawking its opinion.

I rolled my eyes. "Alright, besides Anna, who else wants to, or is able to, go with me?"

Gibbs raised his hand. "You know I'd hate to see anything happen to ye, Evie," he said.

Rannoch hesitated a moment, and I grinned broadly. "Ah, I see how it goes," I teased, catching him glancing towards what the crew now called the 'women's quarters.' "You fancy Selene."

I'd seen it on his face that first night we found her, and since then, the Irishman had been attentive to her, always making sure she was comfortable and well-fed. It was rather adorable, at least to me.

Rannoch, meanwhile, was turning a bright red that went straight up to his hairline, the color blending in with his flaming red locks. "Uh, well, I-"

I reached out and gently patted his arm. "It's alright. I'm glad at least one man is thinking of her as at least courtship worthy. Think how awful I'd have felt if I'd had to leave her in some strange port all by herself!"

Rannoch cleared his throat and smiled. "She's a sweet girl," he admitted, "But it might not go any further than a small courtship."

My inner matchmaker, however, declared otherwise. It was clear that an attachment was going to occur between the Irishman and the little dark-haired girl, and the only one fully aware of it was me.

Anna might suspect something, but the others would be clueless until Rannoch openly showed his affection for Selene –after that, no one would dare make a move on the girl.

"Well, it's back to work for us," I sighed. "We'll discuss this later, when we next make port."

Marty looked at me. "Have you thought about the kinds of tasks that Selene can do aboard? We can't have her lying about, not when everyone aboard has to earn their keep."

That was true. Penny now had the unofficial task of organizing and resupplying the galley, and she was good at it. She kept track of how much food was being used, and kept careful notes on what would be needed, and when. Honestly, the girl was invaluable in keeping track of things like that.

Rannoch cleared his throat, his cheeks still slightly pink from embarrassment. "Since she can sew fairly well, Selene can take charge of mending sails. I'm sure that Evie has more to worry about besides fixing torn canvas."

I nodded my agreement. "Alright, Selene can take the job of mending the torn sails. Now, I've got to help Cotton make lunch. I'll see the rest of you later."

* * *

Our confidence was boosted upwards when, a week later, we pulled into a tiny town on the edge of Florida. The locals were wary of us, but once they realized that we needed supplies, their attitudes became much warmer. As usual, Jack led a group of fellows into the nearest cluster of taverns, but this time he refused to leave me behind.

"You need to have some fun, Evie," he said, taking my arm as he headed for the gangplank. "Come join us for a meal you _haven't_ prepared, and I'll get you a nice proper drink. Anna, stay here and keep an eye on my Pearl."

I looked to Anna for help, but she merely shrugged, a helpless expression on her face. Sighing, I had no choice but to let Jack escort me off the Pearl and into town.

Soon I was seated at a table made of dried, crumbling wood, with a tankard of exotic fruit juice in front of me. There was a large plate of sliced meat, hardboiled eggs, and cheese in the middle of the table, and all the men were wolfing it down as I tried not to look disgusted at their severe lack of table manners.

'_Thank goodness I don't eat meals with them_,' I thought, inwardly wincing. Anna and I usually ate in her cabin or mine, since Jack had long ceased inviting me to dine with him. '_Well, at least the fruit juice is good_.'

"So, luv, it looks like you've found two promising women for my men," Jack said, leaning back in his chair. "Not bad, I should say."

"There would be more if you'd let me find them," I told him half-jokingly.

He sighed. "Now Evie, we've been through this. You aren't going to try and argue with me again, are you?"

Snorting, I took a drink from my tankard and decided to ignore him. A gentle hand on my arm caused me to look at him in surprise. There was actual concern in his eyes, and a bit of wariness as well.

"Evie," he whispered, keeping his voice down so the others couldn't hear. "Is this one of those instances where it'd be best to keep out of your way? You know, for certain…_feminine_ reasons?"

I stared at him, not comprehending what he'd just asked. When it finally hit me, I couldn't help but chuckle softly. "No, it isn't that, Jack. I'm just angry that you won't let me do what you and your crew hired me to."

Holding up a hand to stop him from speaking, I continued. "I know that you're just trying to keep me safe, but at the rate I'm going, it'll be years before I find wives for those that want them. Can you at least trust me to go out on my own and do what a matchmaker has to for her clients?"

His heavily ringed hand gently squeezed my shoulder in an almost affectionate way. "Evie, it isn't that I don't trust you," Jack admitted, "It's other people that I have my doubts about. Now, just humor me a little longer, and I swear I will one day allow you the freedom you need in order to fulfill your side of our bargain, savvy?"

Not given a choice, I rolled my eyes and went back to my drink, secretly glad that I had another way of handling this.

* * *

After about an hour, all of the crewmen around me were thoroughly drunk, Jack included. As for me, I was bored out of my mind with watching the men at their betting and drinking games. I very much wished that Anna-Maria were with me, if only to keep me slightly amused, but she wasn't.

Then, just when I thought I'd lose my mind, Anna appeared. As she came up beside me, she threw an evil glare in Jack's direction, which he didn't notice due to his intoxication. Rolling her eyes, she took me gently by the arm and motioned for me to follow her.

"I'm taking Evie back to the Pearl, Captain," she said, just loud enough for him to hear her. He simply waved haphazardly at her before emptying his tankard of rum.

Both Anna and I rolled our eyes as we made our way out the door and into the street, but I held my breath until we were safely away from the tavern. After a few minutes, I was able to relax.

"Scared of the Captain?" Anna teased as she led me onto the Pearl.

I chuckled. "More like scared that he might come after us and drag me back to the dull, drunken atmosphere of the tavern."

She grinned and patted my shoulder in sympathy. "Why don't the two of us go join Penny and Selene down below? We can go searching for more girls tomorrow, while the Captain and the men are busy sleeping off their rum."

"Anna, you're a lifesaver," I happily sighed.

* * *

Female company was just what I needed, though it wasn't just us ladies who gathered. Marty and Rannoch had joined us, but that only made the night more fun. We all traded jests and stories, but the men didn't hesitate to tell a lot of off-color tales they'd heard or experienced during their days at sea. Food was passed around whenever we were hungry, and while Marty and Rannoch indulged in their rum, we ladies sipped at our fruit juice and water.

It was a rare treat for Penny, Selene, Anna and I to get together in a small group –our duties kept us busy, and whenever there was free time, I was usually too tired to do more than sleep. Also, I suspected that Penny and Selene spent quite a bit of time alone with two certain pirate men who admired them very much, so I decided to leave them be.

We had such fun that it was past midnight when we broke. I beat a hasty retreat to my cabin, and fell into bed, ready for an easy sleep.

A pity that Anna-Maria is an early riser…

* * *

"Anna, do we have to do this _now_?" I whined as she practically dragged me down the dusty street. "This is one of the few times I get to sleep late, and you know Jack won't be awake until after noon anyway. Can't we wait to find marriageable women until _after_ he and the crew head to the taverns tonight?"

She threw a glare at me over her shoulder, then went back to business. "You know we can't risk it, Evie," she declared. "He might haul you off with him again, and then you'll never get anything done while we're here. Now, come on! Besides, we're also here to find some fun things to buy, since I know you haven't had much time to enjoy yourself when we're in port."

Groaning, I gave up and followed her, ignoring Rannoch's good-natured laughter as we walked.

The market was large for so small a Spanish port, and rather distracting as well. Thus far, I'd managed to avoid frivolous spending sprees at past stops by staying focused on what I needed, rather than what I wanted. It also helped that Jack gave me little money to spend, probably because he knew what a woman could spend once she was let loose in a strange, exotic market.

This time was different. Anna had managed to wheedle some extra money out of Jack by barging into his cabin while he was still hung over. In his eagerness to get rid of her, he pushed a small pouch into her palm and told her to "heave off" until later this afternoon, otherwise she'd be tossed in the brig.

Though I was reluctant to admit it, it was rather fun to be out-and-about. Anna found a stall that sold all kinds of men's gear, from shirts to belts, in a variety of colors, materials, and styles. There she insisted that I get at least one set of dress-up shirts and pants, as well as a few colorful cotton tops and undershirts to work in.

Since it seemed like a good idea, I bought a stack of clothing, and since I'd purchased so much, the stall-keeper, who was a round old Spanish woman, sold me a pair of soft boots at a discount. Further in the market, I found a few belts to go with my outfits, and indulged a bit by buying some beautifully carved wooden hair clips to hold my hair back.

But best of all was the amount of exotic fruits, vegetables, and dishes we sampled throughout the market. On most of my usual trips into a port's town center, I barely had enough time to taste one or two things between purchases, thanks to Jack's restrictive time limits. Today I was able to savor each bite I took, and even bought a few things to snack on back in my cabin.

Our purses a lot lighter, Anna and I headed back towards the Pearl with Rannoch standing watch at our back. We had just made it to the docks when I noticed the form of a woman hanging around the ship. The three of us stopped and warily eyed her as we made our way closer to the Pearl, wondering what she was doing here.

"I hope that she's not after any of the men for some reason," I muttered to Anna, who looked more than suspicious. "You know, in case they cheated her out of…_something_ last night."

My friend looked amused for a moment, then turned serious. "Well, you never know what to expect from our boys. Should we ask what she wants?"

"I have a feeling we're about to find out anyway," I muttered as we approached the gangplank.

That was when the woman turned around, a determined look on her face. She was clearly Spanish, with ravishing black hair and flashing black eyes, as well as olive-toned skin. Dressed in a white blouse and brown skirt, she seemed about my age, but taller, with a slimmer womanly figure. There was also a determined air about her as she looked at me, Anna, and Rannoch.

"You work on this ship?" she demanded, huffing slightly as a breeze blew some of her hair into her face.

"Yes," I drawled carefully.

"Is there something we can help you with?" Anna demanded, her voice authoritative as she assumed her role of second mate. Since Jack was incapacitated (and Gibbs probably the same), she was technically in charge.

The woman seemed to sense that she was talking to someone of importance, and relaxed somewhat. "I wish to come aboard and work," she said, crossing her arms. "I want out of this port town, and I am willing to do most types of cooking or woman's work in order to pay for it."

I nearly dropped my purchases in surprise. "You _want_ to go on a strange ship full of sailors?" I asked, surprised out of my wits.

The woman raised an eyebrow at me. "Why should that surprise you, as you obviously have made the same choice?"

"Well, I wouldn't call it a _choice_, exactly," I muttered, shifting my packages around in my arms.

Anna rolled her eyes at me before throwing a glare at the stranger. "What kind of skills do you have?" she asked, strictly business. "We've already got two cooks in the kitchen, a woman in charge of our supplies, and another who can mend canvas and clothes. What can _you_ do?"

"Herbs," the woman said bluntly. "I can mix herbal remedies for colds, stomach ailments, headaches, and even for wounds. I can also prepare mixes of dried herbs to keep insects and rodents out of clothing and bedcovers."

"Handy," Rannoch muttered, though he still didn't appear to trust her.

Meanwhile, my mind was swirling with possibilities. If this girl worked out, she could end up married to a decent crewman from the Pearl –if not, she'd at least be able to keep the men vermin-free between now and the next port.

"We could give her a trial period aboard," I suggested, looking over at Anna-Maria. "If it doesn't work, we could just drop her off somewhere."

"As long as it isn't _here_, I do not care where you leave me," the woman said, dark eyes growing hard.

Anna sighed. "Alright. But before you come aboard, would you at least tell us your name and _why_ you want to leave here, so that we'll be prepared for any 'surprises' that might crop up?"

"My name is Rosalinda Rodriguez, but you may call me Rosa," she declared, tossing her long hair imperiously over her shoulder. "And I am leaving because my fool of an uncle wants me to marry his bastard son, who is not only an idiot, but a fat, disgusting one at that. Now, may I fetch my things so that I can come aboard?"

"Fine, fine," Anna replied. "Be back here tonight, and we'll show you to a cabin."

Rosa merely nodded and left, her brown skirt swirling as she stalked off.

Rannoch whistled and shook his head. "I don't know about you, but I think she's going to cause trouble aboard."

Anna and I looked at each other and grinned. "I certainly hope so," I said as we headed off to put away our things.

With Rosa aboard, things were doubtlessly going to get interesting for _someone_!

* * *

AN: Review?


	10. Surprise Matches

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I own nothing related to _**Pirates of the Caribbean**_. That belongs to Jerry Bruckheimer, Disney, and a bunch of other people. Only original characters and plotlines are mine.

AN: Here's the next chapter! Thanks for reading, and please don't forget to review!

**Chapter 10: Surprise Matches:**

A few days after we left the little port town in Florida, I could see that a few crewmembers were seriously doubting my decision in bringing Rosa onboard.

For the most part, I think it was Rosa's strength of character that put them off. She was a strong woman who let her temper show when she was angry, and a woman in possession of a backbone always unnerved men. Personally, I felt she was no worse than Anna-Maria, but to the crew, having Anna-Maria was bad enough –they didn't count the rest of us females as 'difficult,' but adding Rosa's temperament to Anna's was like making a hard situation worse.

However, after I got to know her better, I could feel that Rosa and I were beginning to become friends, just like Anna and I had. Over a shared pot of tea in my cabin, we traded life stories, and unsurprisingly, hers was far more difficult than mine.

"I know I must appear a difficult woman, but I must be strong if I am to survive," she'd told me during her first night aboard. "Weakness gets you killed when you are alone in the world. If I were weak, I would have married my foolish, bastard cousin who is stupider than a rock and far more useless. And if I had married him, my uncle would have dominated us both until the day one of us died. I had to stay strong in order to live on my own and find a way out of that town before I was forced into that marriage.

"My wits have helped me find work with a local herb woman, though I did not get paid much. My temper has helped me win bargaining sessions in the marketplace, for anyone who shows weakness while bargaining is sure to be robbed by merchants. With these I was able to etch out a living, and I would happily continue to do so, if it weren't for my uncle."

I felt sorry for her, to be sure, but if she was poor, why did her uncle want her to marry his bastard son? When I asked her, Rosa merely snorted and growled something about him being a controlling man with no soul.

Thus, I wasn't really surprised that, beneath her spirit and fiery temper, Rosa was a good person. When she'd come onboard, she'd brought not only her clothes and possessions, but large packets of dried plants and herbs for medicines. As a gesture of friendship, she made small, strong-scented pouches for Selene, Penny, Anna and I to store with our clothes, keeping them not only free of vermin, but sweet-smelling as well.

Of course, after such a kind act, the other girls insisted on becoming friends with Rosa. We all tried to eat our meals together, but since I still cooked with Mr. Cotton, met with Gibbs for a lesson or two on pirates, and practiced knife-fighting with Anna, I was usually too tired to do more than eat and listen to the other girls' chatter. It was very cozy, almost home-like, and we relished the 'safe' feeling such a gathering provided us.

It was Rosa's fifth day aboard when we managed to show the men how useful she was. She had first spent a majority of her time settling in and helping Penny in the storage room, taking tally of what herbs and spices we already had aboard so she could see what we had and she didn't (and vice versa). Once she had a general idea of our herb stores, she went straight to work, creating a distilling room in one of the spare cabins, and began brewing things, using her herb skills to create treatments for wounds, burns, illnesses, and hangovers. She even mixed spice packets for Mr. Cotton and I to use in the crew's meals, which added a nice bit of flavor to everything that we never had before. Needless to say, it wasn't long before the men began noticing the improved flavor in their food, and when they did, Rosa began to receive some thanks from those bold enough to approach her.

However, the day that truly marked her acceptance onboard was when Gibbs came down with a very bad hangover.

* * *

Now, hangovers were not uncommon aboard a pirate ship. Considering all the drinking that occurred either on deck or below it, I'd be surprised if we managed to go two days _without_ someone being hung-over.

As it so happened, Gibbs became involved in a drinking game with a few of the crewmen, and as he didn't want to be left out of the fun, Jack insisted on joining them. I, personally, wasn't there to witness the event, but I could certainly hear them on deck that night, laughing and staggering around as they thoroughly enjoyed themselves. It made for a horribly restless night for me.

The next day, Marty found Gibbs suffering from not only a headache, but also nausea, dizziness, and a head that felt like it'd been stuffed with cotton. He was so miserable that some of the men began worrying about his health and voicing their fears to one another. Coincidently, they were standing by the 'women's cabins,' where we females had gathered to chat over biscuits and tea.

When Rosa heard about Gibbs's issue, she immediately decided to help. Muttering about the foolishness of men, she gathered a few pouches of herbs and stalked down to the crew's quarters, not caring what the men might think about having their private space invaded by a stubborn Spanish girl. Worried that she might cause more problems than she solved, I hurried after her, leaving Anna with the other girls behind.

It was a good thing I went along, because Rosa needed someone to help her mix up the herbs, and none of the men were willing to involve themselves. Over the shared stove that heated the crew's cabin, she boiled a small teapot of some sort of concoction, and poured a cupful of it. The medicine was thick, almost sludgy with herbs, but the smell of the mint leaves freshened the room, though it didn't quite cover up the scent of boiled green things.

Gibbs, superstitious as always, refused to drink the remedy until Rosa threatened to have me pour it down his throat while she and Anna held him down. Shocked at the threat, he obediently drank down the entire cup and lay back down on his bunk as Rosa put her things away.

In a little while, he sat up, blinking. "Well, I'll be damned. The mess worked!"

"Of course it did," Rosa replied smugly. "After living so long with an herb woman, you think I don't know how to cure a hangover? It _is_ one of the most popular remedies, and one of the simplest to make."

"I suppose you dislike men who drink, eh?" he asked, taking the mug of water I offered him. "Most women do."

Rosa actually chuckled, a soft sound that surprised not only Gibbs, but me as well, for it was the first time I'd heard her laugh. I had seen her smile, but never laugh, and I couldn't believe that it was _Gibbs_ who had startled the sound out of her.

"Would it surprise you that I have no objection to men drinking?" she said, gathering up her basket. "My own father enjoyed his rum, and he was a good man who loved his family and took care of them. As long as they don't drink too much and become violent, I don't oppose men indulging."

Gibbs couldn't have been more surprised than if Rosa had turned into a mermaid right before his eyes. For a moment, he was actually speechless, and after she had left for her own cabin, I smirked at the expression on his face.

"Well, I suppose that you'll be joining the crew for lunch," I merrily told him as I walked towards the door.

"Aye," he muttered, rubbing his hand over his hair, a thoughtful look on his face.

* * *

After lunch, everyone except me was surprised in Gibbs's sudden change in personality. For the past few hours, he'd made an effort in approaching Rosa, who treated his attempts at 'charm' with goodhearted laughter and a gentle, but firm rebuke.

At first, Gibbs had been disheartened by this, but with a bit of encouragement from me, he decided to try and slowly win Rosa over. He started by inviting us ladies to join him, Marty and Rannoch on deck for cards after supper. After we all gathered around a table the men put together from planks of wood, they proceeded to patiently tell us about the game, and its rules. Whenever the men attempted to cheat, Anna would reach over and slap them upside the head, a sight that always made us laugh.

Following the game, while the men indulged in their rum, Anna led us to a quiet part of the deck near the helm. A few large coils of rope, a small bucket or two, and a couple barrels were strewn about, but we helped each other gather them so that we could sit together and talk. Once we were settled, I made sure to study Rosa's face, wondering she was thinking about. She looked unusually solemn, as though there were something on her mind and she was unsure as to whether it was a good thing or not.

"So…" I drawled, smiling as I looked over at her. "Mr. Gibbs certainly seems interested in you."

The other girls snickered as Rosa scowled. Since it was dark out here, I couldn't tell if she was blushing or not, but from the slightly embarrassed look on her face, she probably was.

"That is not funny," she retorted, her eyes not meeting ours. "Besides, he is too old for me. Seriously, look at him! He has white hair and everything!"

Selene waved her words aside. "Oh, come now, Rosie! You know that men his age marry girls our age all the time, so don't try and use that weak argument on us."

The rest of us laughed at that, and tried to avoid getting pushed off our chairs by a smiling Rosa. "Alright, I won't say that, but I do not think he is my type. He is a pirate who enjoys his drink too much, and I do not relish the idea of having to treat his hangovers for the rest of my days!"

"Oh, I think you might be able to change that little flaw in his character," Penny teased, causing all of us to burst into laughter. "Or if not, he might convert you into liking rum instead!"

Catching her breath, Rosa tried to stop her giggles. "Well, we'll see," she replied, smiling in spite of herself.

I exchanged a knowing look with Anna-Maria, then turned the conversation elsewhere. Relieved that we were no longer talking about her, Rosa relaxed and joined in wholeheartedly. It was a good evening all around.

* * *

Taking a swig from his rum bottle, Jack listened to the sound of females giggling, and frowned.

How had things come to this? Besides Anna-Maria and Evie, there were _three_ other ladies aboard, and Jack hadn't a chance with any one of them! It was almost killing him inside, knowing that Evie had somehow managed to find mates for Marty of all people, and Rannoch, the giant Irishman who more often frightened girls than attracted them!

What was worse, though, was the fact that Gibbs, his first mate and best friend, had actually found a girl he was interested in. Not only that, but the girl was a beauty. True, she had a temper to match the passionate nature of the Spanish people, but that could only prove interesting in a marriage, at least in Jack's opinion.

'_I can't abide dull women_,' he thought with a shudder.

That's why he had tried to make an attempt on the Spanish beauty, Rosa. She had more spirit than either Selene or Penny, and if he managed to win her over, she might make life more exciting for him. And so, on her second day aboard ship, after making sure he looked his best, Jack had found Rosa alone on deck and proceeded to use his charms on her.

Unfortunately, his efforts had been an utter failure. Rosa had merely laughed at him, stating that she had heard of his reputation, and knew the kind of man he was. She then proceeded to tell him that she would not be one of his conquests, and that he would have to look elsewhere for female attention.

Jack shouldn't have been surprised at her words, as he knew that his reputation was wide-spread, but to have her fling that back in his face had hurt not only his feelings, but his pride as well.

'_On the other hand, perhaps a wife with a sharp wit might not be a good idea after all_.'

Still, a wife with a temper would be better than a meek, milk-skinned girl with no will of her own. It would make for spectacular fights, for one thing, and Jack always found fiery women amusing when they were in a foul mood –well, when he wasn't ducking to avoid objects being thrown at his head. And as for 'making up' afterwards…well, that might just be worth the whole thing!

Sighing, he took another drink and sat back in his chair as the sound of laughter again came from above. Hopefully those ladies weren't plotting against him or his men –if any of those girls tried to purposely lead on any of his crewmen and turn them against one another, they'd be thrown off at the next port.

'_Conflict amongst the crew leads to dangerous situations_,' Jack remembered his father saying. He had learned his lesson after Barbossa, and he would not repeat that mistake again.

Meanwhile, Jack was in the middle of his own internal conflict. He has so far failed to get even close to the women in their time aboard, and he had a feeling that was his own fault. Something had been holding him back, and he wasn't sure what it was.

At first, he'd thought it was his duties aboard the Pearl, which was true enough. As Captain, Jack had a lot of work and not much time to do it in. There'd been several raids already, so there had been the battle preparations to see to, and afterwards, he'd had the task of counting and distributing the goods evenly amongst the crew. _That_ always took a lot of time and effort, so it really was no wonder that Marty and Rannoch had managed to swipe the first two bonny lasses that Evie had found.

Taking another swig from his bottle, Jack began grumbling under his breath. Thus far, his goal of finding a wife was going down in flames. Between sailing the Pearl, pillaging, caring for his men, and a dozen other duties, he was beginning to feel like a failure when it came to finding and wooing a woman.

It wasn't as though he could blame Evie, either. She was actually doing her duty in bringing women aboard, and though she wasn't actually making any matches, those women had been just the right fit for some of his men.

'_Maybe I need to go elsewhere to find a woman_.' Oh, now _that_ was an idea.

He stared at the bottle in his hand, lost in thought. Since it was full of merchant sailors, pirates and Navy-types from all over, some of them also looking for wives, the Caribbean was somewhat limited when it came to eligible females. Why not head to other waters, perhaps Europe? The civilized world was full of all sorts of women, and it might even have the kind he was looking for

Jack smiled and took another drink of rum.

* * *

AN: I know, much shorter chapter this time, but if I put anything else in here, it wouldn't "fit" with the way I want it to go. I promise the next one will be longer. Thanks for reading, and please review!


	11. Confrontations

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own anything related to _**Pirates of the Caribbean**_. Well, except a Jack Sparrow poster, but that's pretty much it. Only original creations (characters, places, etc) are mine.

AN: Here's another chapter. Thanks so much for reading, and please review!

**Chapter 11: Confrontations:**

When Jack made his announcement to the crew, I couldn't believe what I was hearing –we were heading out of the Caribbean and off to distant lands, all in the name of piracy and profit.

Foreign waters. It's not as though my job was hard enough where we already were –now I had to go places where they didn't speak English, and I didn't speak their languages! How wonderful.

However, Jack's word was law aboard the Pearl, and since he wanted to loot ships elsewhere, we were headed away from the Caribbean and off to the great Atlantic.

But before we headed out into those unfamiliar waters, Jack decided to make one last stop.

As usual, I wasn't allowed anywhere without a guard, and the same could almost be said for the other girls. The difference between me and my female friends, on the other hand, was the fact that they had men courting them, and these men were able to take them anywhere in town without trouble. That was why, as Rannoch and Marty escorted their ladies into town for supper (though Gibbs had to coax Rosa into doing the same), I was left alone with only Anna-Maria and Mr. Cotton for company.

But the arrangement didn't bother me, since as soon as Jack was safely out of our way, the three of us would head into town so that I could try and locate a few women to bring aboard.

Our chance came when Jack and his group of followers headed off for the taverns. I never tired of watching him sashay his way down the gangplank to the dock, the men trailing behind him, all of them uneasy on their feet and clearly in need of getting their 'land-legs' back. It was a rather amusing sight, and I had to stifle my giggles as they walked off into town.

"Well, it looks like it'll be the three of us," Anna said, arms crossed as she watched the men head off.

"That's not necessarily a bad thing," I told her. "As long as those couples start bonding, I'm perfectly content. After all, it's what I was brought onboard for, isn't it?"

"Wind in your sails!" quipped Cotton's bird, fluttering its blue wings as it nodded its agreement.

Chuckling, I reached out and scratched its crest. "Thank you. Now, what do you say to a quick trip into town? This will probably be our last stop here in the Caribbean, and I want to relish it before we head into what I consider unfamiliar territory."

I strapped my knives into place, and once we were ready, we waved goodbye to Samuel, a giant black man who was keeping watch on the Pearl tonight. He was the thoughtful, silent type, and when he saw us leaving, he raised an eyebrow, clearly wondering what we were up to.

"Just heading out for a bit of quiet time," Anna told him. "No worries, Sam; Cotton and I'll keep Evie safe."

Samuel merely nodded and headed off towards the back of the ship, leaving us to it. I sighed in relief and turned towards my friends. "Alright, let's go."

* * *

Grumbling under his breath, Jack headed straight for the Pearl, his mind's eye filled with the image of his personal rum cache, hidden smartly in his quarters. He could hardly wait to indulge in the blissful drunken haze that would result only minutes after he got back.

His trip to the taverns had been a shock and a disappointment. The swill that they called 'rum' was so weak it wouldn't get a rat drunk. Jack liked his rum good and strong, the liquor burning lightly as it went down his throat and into his belly, warming him from the inside. It was a wonderful feeling, and any decent rum would get him completely off-his-chair drunk within half an hour.

"The sorry stuff they served might as well have been water," Jack growled, his good mood gone. "How can that place stay in business with weak offerings like _that_?"

Of course, whenever Captain Jack Sparrow was robbed of a night drinking with his men in a tavern, his mood always turned bad. He, however, was the only one who decided to return to the Pearl for rum; the others chose to scatter to the other bars and taverns in search of stronger drinks. Even Gibbs wasn't around to join him in their usual drunken indulgences.

Jack smirked. '_Ah, well, more for me then_.'

He was met on deck by Samuel, the tall black man who (besides Rannoch) was one of the strongest crewmembers. But unlike the talkative Irishman, Samuel tended to be silent and listen to everything that went on around him. It wasn't that he was mute or an idiot –he just preferred to spend his time observing, listening, and learning.

"Samuel," Jack said, nodding his head in greeting. "Any trouble so far?"

Samuel shook his head, though he did look a bit puzzled. "Back early, sir?" he asked, his voice deep but comforting.

Jack couldn't help but smile. When he chose to speak, Samuel tended not to waste words –directness was his policy, and Jack appreciated it.

"Aye, it seems the taverns here don't know the meaning of decent rum," he explained. "I decided to enjoy myself here, since I won't have to fall very far to get to my bed."

Samuel actually smiled a bit, and nodded. "Have a good night, sir."

"You as well, Sam," Jack replied, turning towards his cabin.

He was three steps away when he realized that something was missing. Stopping in his tracks, he turned and looked at Samuel.

"It's awfully quiet," Jack observed. "I know that most of the lasses are gone with their beaus, but where are Anna-Maria and Evie? I can usually hear them cackling together at this time of night. Where are they?"

Samuel stared at him. "Anna said they were heading off for quiet time in town. They'll be back soon." Shrugging, he headed for the mast, where he proceeded to sit down and pull out a pipe.

Jack, meanwhile, was trying not to strangle something. He'd given Evie strict orders when it came to her safety, and she'd ignored them.

'_And it wouldn't surprise me if Anna-Maria is somehow behind this little disobedience_.'

But that's what he got for being so soft towards others. Next time he'd have to chain the girl to the railing, though he doubted that would do any good –she might just charm or pity a crewman into freeing her.

For now, though, he'd indulge in a bit of rum and wait for Evie to return. After that, the two of them were going to have a _very_ long talk.

* * *

Although I hadn't found another potential bride to bring aboard the Pearl, the night wasn't a complete loss.

Genius that she was, Anna decided to take Cotton and myself to a fairly decent tavern for supper. While we were there, we managed to stuff ourselves on roast goose, a rare treat. Cotton's parrot seemed displeased with our meal choice, but after its own supper of nuts and hardtack, it calmed down considerably.

After we'd eaten, we headed back to the ship, content with ourselves and eager for bed –at least until I saw Jack waiting for us on deck. I wasn't even able to get a word out before he hustled me off to his cabin, leaving Anna and Cotton staring after me in worry.

The moment the door closed behind us, I knew I was in trouble. The cool, hard look in Jack's eyes turned them from brown to black, and the air around him almost shimmered with tension –he was that angry.

"Sit," he snapped, pointing at a chair.

Swallowing hard, I did as he bid. The air seemed very cold as Jack slowly circled around me, like a hawk eying its prey. I couldn't bear to look at him, so I focused on my folded hands resting in my lap.

"_What_ do you think you were _doing_?" he growled. I could feel Jack's eyes burning into my head as he glared at me. "What _possessed_ you to leave the safety of this ship _at night_? Have you no _sense_?"

Well, _that_ was uncalled for. Anger overcame my fear, and I lifted my head to glare at him.

"Of course I have sense!" I snapped, feeling every bit as furious as he was. "If I didn't, I wouldn't have gone against your rules –which, I might add, were completely nonsensical."

Jack stared at me as though I were the most foolish person in the world. "Were they?" he drawled. "Did it not occur to you that those rules were in place to keep you safe and away from harm?"

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, yes, heading into town without armed guards is so much worse than being onboard while you and your crew pillage ships," I retorted sarcastically. "With bullets, cannon-fire, and possible counterattacks from your targets, it was far safer to stay hidden aboard the Pearl."

By now, Jack looked ready to strangle me. "At least you were tucked away from danger when we pillaged," he said through clenched teeth.

"And what if we'd been boarded?" I countered. "When all of you were busy fighting, the other girls and I might have been hurt, or at worst, killed. Oh, we would have fought the best we could, but what if we'd been overrun? Then what would have happened?"

"Stop arguing with me, woman!" Jack yelled. "I gave those orders to keep you safe, and this is how you thank me? Most would be grateful to have someone so concerned for their wellbeing!"

"I did what I had to in order to find women for your crew!" I shouted back. "And _you_ were being as unhelpful as can be! If we did things your way, I would never find _any_ women to bring aboard, and your men would die old, grey and alone!"

Shoving my forefinger in his face, I fended off any reply he tried to make. "What I did, I did not only for them, but for you. _You_ decided to take a wife, _you_ came to me for help, and _you_ brought me aboard this ship without consulting me beforehand.

"And in case you forgot," I sarcastically said, "_I_ am the matchmaker, _I_ know what to look for in potential wives for your men, and _I_ am the only one who can find them and bring them aboard for the men who want them."

Jack reached up and pushed my hand away. "Don't flatter yourself, luv," he mockingly told me. "You haven't found more than one woman in your entire stay on the Pearl –you've mostly just been bringing women in unfortunate circumstances aboard and leaving it to luck."

I smirked. "That shows what you know about my line of work, Captain," I snidely told him. "Merely _finding_ the right kind of person is half the task itself. And with your men being so reluctant to meet with my acquaintance, it was difficult to find out what they were looking for. Believe me, if I had left Selene or Rosa back in those ports to fend for themselves, they wouldn't have met Rannoch or Gibbs, both of whom certainly had no idea they were even _looking_ for brides!"

My smirk grew wider. "Besides, with so many men aboard, all of the girls were bound to find one out of the lot of them."

For a little while, we were both silent. Jack seemed to still be angry with me, and rather than see my point in these matters, he merely couldn't get past the fact that I had disobeyed him.

"I honestly don't see what you're so upset about," I said, trying to keep my tone civil, "Whether day or night, I always had at least two or three of your crew with me as guards, and we made sure to avoid the worst parts of the town. I was in no danger."

Putting my hands on my hips, I threw him a scolding look. "I think you might just be jealous that I found three suitable women and none of them showed interest in you, the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow. Well, I _know_ you've likely had 'female company' each time we've been in port, so I have no idea what you're complaining about."

He stared at her for a minute before a sound, somewhere between a chuckle and a snort, escaped his mouth. "I hate to tell you this, luv, but I haven't had a woman since I brought you aboard. And you have no idea how it's been killing me."

I couldn't help it; I gaped at him. "You haven't? Why not? I thought that someone with your reputation would…you know…"

A heavily ringed hand waved my words aside. "Believe me, it's the hardest thing I've ever done. But the way I figure it is that I've got to start practicing being faithful to the woman I end up marrying –that is, if you manage to find me a woman first – so I decided to start early. I thought it would take a while to get used to the idea, and honestly, it's been no picnic!"

He scowled in thought. "Though I suppose I could have gone the other way entirely, trying to overly indulge myself before I settled down…"

I ignored that, as my mind still had to take a moment to wrap itself around what he'd previously said. "So what _have_ you been doing in town?" I asked, curious in spite of myself.

He shrugged. "The usual: drinking, gambling, laughing and trading jokes and stories with the men, that sort of thing."

"Oh," I whispered.

Silence again filled the cabin, and after a few moments, Jack sighed. "Alright, Evie, I give in. Your way has been productive, so from now on, you're free to head off into town to find girls for my men. But!" he said, waving a forefinger at me, "I want your word that you'll take Anna-Maria with you, as well as two or three others on these little trips of yours, savvy? The ports of Europe are as rough as those in the Caribbean, if not rougher."

"You have my word," I solemnly told him. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to get some rest. It's been a long night, and arguing with someone can be rather exhausting."

Surprisingly, he didn't protest, and actually politely bowed me out of the door. I headed back to my cabin feeling rather triumphant. I had gotten my own way, and tomorrow, I would go ashore to find another girl to bring aboard. With any luck, I'd be successful. If not, it was a _very_ long voyage to Europe.

* * *

Sitting alone in his cabin, Jack took a deep drink of rum and stared out the large windows at the back of his cabin.

He didn't want to admit it, but damn it, Evie was right –he was jealous. Three lovely young women had been brought aboard, and all of them had been snapped up by crewmen before they'd been here a week. Jack hadn't even a chance to really meet them or welcome them aboard, not really. His work was never-ending, and he'd left their acceptance and integration into daily life aboard the Pearl to Anna-Maria and Evie.

'_Maybe I don't give the girl enough credit_,' he grudgingly admitted.

After all, she'd taken it upon herself to do whatever she had to in order to help his men. Not many women would willingly walk into a seedy port-town with only a few protectors at their backs, just to get the job done.

'_And she __**did**__ manage to find girls with good hearts, not to mention that they don't seem to mind that their beaus are pirates_.'

They even found ways to be useful, which was even more surprising -most women would simply take up space and laze about rather than work aboard a ship. Or worse, they thought they knew better than the men did, and tried to make things run their way (which was usually the _wrong_ way).

In the end, he'd given Evie the credit she deserved, though it had killed him a bit to give in to her demands. The last thing Jack wanted was for someone to come back to the Pearl with the bad news that Evie had been hurt or killed on one of her "expeditions" into town.

He shuddered as the image of a bloodied body and gaping wounds filled his head. '_I'll never forgive myself if something happens to her_.'

Still, she had to find wives for the men, and she'd have to leave the ship to do it. Thus, he'd let her go, but only with the best people protecting her.

Taking another gulp of rum, Jack pondered this idea of his. True, he'd hired Evie to find women for him and his crew, and to a certain degree, she'd been successful –there were, after all, three men who were happily courting three agreeable young ladies.

However, there was a very real possibility that Miss Evianna Watkins would not be able to find him, Captain Jack Sparrow, a wife. He had very high expectations when it came to the kind of woman he wanted, and he didn't doubt that it would take the rest of his life to find her.

'_If that's so, then I'll just have to end my days as a bachelor,' _he mused. _'There are worse fates than that_.'

Feeling the rum haze his mind, Jack let his thoughts drift. They ended up back at the argument he'd had with Evie, and he shamelessly allowed himself a moment to admire the woman and her appearance.

He'd never actually thought about her before, not really. She was a pretty girl, Jack had to admit, but he hadn't actually _seen_ her.

"She certainly looks charming when she's angry," he muttered, grinning.

Aye, that she did, and the fact that she was willing to do anything to achieve her goals spoke volumes about her character. Evie was a spitfire with a heart, and that heart had a touch of piracy in it. Such females were few and far between, and Jack was certainly fond of the rare and hard-to-find.

"She's also a challenge. And I _do_ so love a challenge."

* * *

AN: Looks like things are going to get interesting, huh? Let the games begin! Review?


	12. Life at Sea

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own anything related to _**Pirates of the Caribbean**_. Well, except a Jack Sparrow poster, but that's pretty much it. Only original creations (characters, places, etc) are mine.

AN: There's a tiny bit of fun in this chapter, but I won't spoil it. Have fun reading, and please don't forget to review! Thanks!

**Chapter 12: Life at Sea:**

Life at sea was difficult, it's true. But while we were in the Caribbean, we at least were able to stop at random ports for supplies and to stretch our legs.

Here in the Atlantic, we had no respite. It was nothing but sailing, and though I was used to it, I didn't relish the idea of being stuck on the Pearl for months on end. There was no land in sight, only the idea of reaching it, and in between now and then, there was nothing but open water.

'_At least you've got friends to share it with_,' commented a voice in the back of my head.

Well, that was so, but only to a certain point. Selene, Penny and Rosa all had their days divided into three parts: work, time spent with me and Anna-Maria, and time spent with their suitors. Needless to say, their days were far busier than mine were.

Not that I envied them, oh no. Marty, Rannoch and Gibbs were sweet fellows with rough edges, but they weren't the sort of men I could be interested in. True, they were good men who were respectful to my friends, but I preferred men who bathed more than once a week.

Since I had no suitors to take up my time and distract me from the boredom of the open sea, Anna and I did our best to amuse ourselves. She continued my knife-fighting lessons, and added a lesson of hand-to-hand combat. Once and a while, I managed to toss her around, but mostly, it was Anna who sent me to the floor.

Two weeks into our venture, the other girls decided that they wanted to learn to protect themselves as well, and we began to openly practice on deck. The men found it amusing at first, and all of them began making jests, cat-calls, and wondering who was worst –at least until Anna taught us certain strategic spots on a man to kick. After that, the men were a little more respectful, and in time, they began making bets on which one of us ladies would come out the least bruised. Even Jack began to take part in the wagers, which only made us laugh in private.

"Men!" we muttered to each other after our lessons were over.

When we eventually grew bored with our fighting lessons, Anna suggested teaching us a few of the men's card and dice games, if only for entertainment purposes. No real gambling was going to be done, as none of us had any money to spare for such frivolities, but Rosa offered some of the contents of her herbal bag for us to use.

"To make things more interesting," she explained. "You can use some of the perfumed water I made for each of you, so that you have something to gamble with or trade among you."

It was a silly way to do things, but it kept us from losing money or prized possessions, so we went with it anyway. And Rosa was right –it did make the games more interesting, and whenever one of us won, we offered to return our winnings so that there were no hard feelings. When the crew found out, they couldn't understand why we did this, and it was somewhat pointless telling them that we females valued our friendship more than the things we won.

Then, just when things began to settle into a dull routine for me, a surprise dropped on me.

It was after we'd been at sea for a month, and the girls and I were on deck for our usual lesson in self-defense. My turn had yet to come, and I was admiring how well Rosa was doing in learning how to handle a knife. I thought it might be due to her being a natural, but Anna speculated that Rosa had learned to effectively wield a knife from her herb-woman teacher, who might also have secretly been a surgeon. Either way, the Spanish beauty was skilled.

As I watched Anna and Rosa practice, I felt a hand on my shoulder. Turning, I was surprised to see Jack standing there, a crooked smile on his face.

"Interesting entertainment you girls have been providing," he said. "Though I must admit, it's also useful, since you're associating with pirates."

I snorted in amusement. "Well, I'm glad that our sparing sessions are entertaining not only for you men, but also for us. There's only so much we can do when it comes to chores, and learning to fight keeps us fit and teaches us something necessary in life. A good thing all around, don't you think?"

"Oh, absolutely, luv," he hastily agreed. "But I think you, personally, aught to learn something besides knives and hand-to-hand combat. We _are_ a pirate ship, so you'd better learn how to use a sword and pistol, though we might put off the pistol for a while. We'll need every bit of shot aboard, and have none to spare for lessons here on the open sea."

I stared at him. "You want to teach me to _shoot_?" I asked, shocked.

"Not for a while," Jack assured me. "Tomorrow, however, we start you on the sword. Anna says you've done well with knives, though you've no experience with them off the Pearl, and it's time you've moved on to something else. We start at ten o'clock tomorrow morning."

And that was how I began to learn sword fighting from Captain Jack Sparrow.

* * *

Our first lesson was on the aft deck of the Pearl, where we ladies had our lessons in the early morning. I'd been forced to go easy on myself during those lessons in favor of Jack's, as I didn't want to be over-tired when I faced him. Since it was relatively early in the day, I was slightly sweaty, but still relatively fresh. I had wanted to skip training with Anna, but she said it would be a bad idea.

"You need to be warmed up and in that mindset if you're going to be facing Jack Sparrow," she warned. "Trust me. He's one of the finest swordsmen you'll find anywhere, so you should feel honored that he's offered to teach you."

Honored, ha! I was scared out of my wits! I'd heard dozens of stories about Jack, like how he had raided Nassau port without following a shot, and other impossible, fantastic things that boggled the mind. _This_ was the man who was going to teach me, and I just couldn't wrap my head around that fact.

"You look well, Evie," Jack declared when he came up to meet me.

Our part of the deck had been cleared in order to give us plenty of space, so it was just the two of us. My hands were sweating like mad, and I swore I could feel my breakfast rebelling against me. Jack, however, looked calm and collected, a smile on his face as he approached.

"Ready?" he asked, unsheathing one sword, then pulling another from somewhere under his coat.

"Um, no?" I timidly replied, taking the sword he offered me.

He chuckled. "No worries, luv. I'm just going to teach you how to hold a blade properly, and we'll go slowly from there. No one learns to fight overnight, unless you've got an unusual knack for it. Now, shall we?"

During the next half hour, Jack taught me how to stand, hold my sword, and to stay focused on everything around me. In a way, it was like how Anna tutored me with knives, except with Jack as my teacher, things were very…different.

For instance, Jack tended to stand behind me, his hand firmly but gently on mine as he adjusted my grip and showed me how to bend or move my arm. I tried to focus on what I was doing, rather than how warm his fingers felt on mine, and how tender his touch was. Whenever that happened, I mentally slapped myself and ordered my mind to pay attention.

The most difficult part, however, was when Jack put his hands on my hips and showed me the correct stances. I'd never had a man put his hands on me in any fashion, and to have Jack's be the first to do so was almost enough to make my head spin. If his touch could unnerve me this much during a lesson, it was no wonder he was legendary amongst women!

At last, after an hour of nerves, the lesson was over.

"Alright, that's enough for today," Jack declared, stepping back and releasing me. "We'll continue tomorrow, same time, aye?"

I nodded my agreement and went to my cabin to wash up, my entire mind a mess. Lord, in spite of the fact that I was a matchmaker, I was _completely_ inexperienced when it came to men! True, I knew men and had friends among them, but I'd never been courted, and thus, never kissed or held by any man.

"And because of this, I've turned into a quivering, idiotic girl," I muttered, shaking my head.

Now, that wouldn't do. I had a job to finish, and to do that, I had to keep my head on straight. Just because I'd had a man hold me in a close manner was no reason to loose all my senses!

But oh, how wonderful it'd felt to be held like that! I had finally experienced what other girls had, and now part of me was wondering what it would be like to fall in love and marry a good man who loved me.

"Some day," I whispered, looking out the small window of my cabin. "I'll find out one day."

There would be plenty of time for that after I left the Pearl. After all, part of my bargain with Jack was that he would drop me off anywhere I pleased, so once I was settled, I would go on to find a man of my own.

Smiling, I washed my face and got ready to go prepare lunch with Mr. Cotton.

* * *

Propping his feet up on his table, Jack smirked to himself. Creating the sword lessons with Evie was quite brilliant, if he said so himself. It gave him the perfect opportunities to be near her, not to mention the fact that he could place his hands on her and pass it off as part of her training.

Uncorking a bottle of rum, he took two gulps and paused for a breath. It never ceased to amaze him how soft a woman could feel, and Evie was no exception. She was fit, too, from her lessons with Anna-Maria, and a stricter diet aboard the Pearl had slimmed her down a bit, but not in an alarming fashion. Like his men, she was well-fed, but no one was allowed to gorge themselves – on a ship, gorging was unhealthy, it shortened the supplies, and made for fat, lazy crewmembers. Everyone was given enough to fill their bellies, and if they were hungry sometime during the day, they were welcome to an apple or piece of hardtack from the stores. When it came to Evie, if there had been any fat, it had long since vanished.

'_She's also put on a bit of muscle_,' he pondered, smiling. He'd felt it under her shirt when he'd put his hands on her waist and arm. '_She's got a good grip, too_.'

It was too early to tell if she was going to be any good with a blade, but that was only the secondary reason he had for training her –the first was him 'testing the waters' with Evie. He had to be sure that she was what he wanted, and if she was, to be certain that she could be won over.

'_There's nothing more annoying than pursuing a woman who isn't interested in you_.' Jack knew _that_ from experience!

Evie wouldn't be the first woman he'd set his sights on, though she was on the _very_ short list of females whom he regarded as something more than a night of companionship. However, the ones he had shown serious thought and interest in had turned out to be bad choices all around, as more than a few of them had been out for his blood. Their hatred hadn't been evident at the time, but had appeared later on in his pursuit of them, which only made Jack more cautious about the women he chased.

"It doesn't help that the matchmakers I've visited all declared me hopeless when it came to marriage," Jack muttered aloud before taking a drink of rum. "I suppose there are some things in life you ought to do yourself." Chasing Evie was one of them.

So there was his dilemma: testing the waters with Evie through their sword lessons, and hoping that everything resulted as he wanted them to. True, it wouldn't be easy, but since they were approaching Europe, a place known for some of the most romantic and exquisite places in the world, Jack was confident he'd at least get Evie's attention (and hopefully in a good way).

While they were at sea, however, he would bide his time. Good things always came to those who could wait.

* * *

Over the next month, I learned that there was a finesse to handling a long blade, and hoped that, one day, I'd be able to do it justice.

However, there was another sort of finesse I had to learn, and that was keeping myself under control whenever I was being tutored by Jack.

Honestly, the man was driving me mad! Well, alright, it wasn't _Jack's_ fault that I was inexperienced when it came to men, nor was it his fault that I flushed whenever he used his hands to adjust my stances or my grip on my sword. I could hardly blame him for my own shortcomings, after all.

It didn't help that he was a handsome devil, either, but I chalked that distraction up to there being nothing to look at other than the crew, my friends, or the sea. On our previous voyages, Gibbs had taken to teaching me the stars, or about the different islands we passed and who (or what) lived on them.

Sadly, here in the middle of the Atlantic, there were no islands to look at or talk about, and Gibbs was busy with his chores and wooing Rosa. Thus, no sane woman could blame me for admiring the only handsome man aboard the Pearl. I was sure that, if Selene, Penny and Rosa didn't have their beaus, they too would be admiring Jack –but as it was, they were busy being courted, and I had the distinct feeling that there would be three weddings taking place by the time we reached Europe, or perhaps shortly after.

'_Heck, there might even be a babe or two on the way as well_!' I thought, chewing my lip as I raised my blade to block Jack's.

I was more than confident that there would be at least one bundle of joy on the way soon. We _were_ at sea, and considering the circumstances, I knew that I'd have to give Jack a warning about getting us to Shipwreck Island, preferably before a baby decided to arrive.

'_Unless he wants a crying babe aboard his precious Pearl, he'll point us there immediately_.'

The idea of Jack putting up with a crying baby was so amusing it almost made me lose my concentration, and I was just fast enough to prevent Jack from smacking my leg with the side of his blade.

"_Pay attention_, Evie!" he snapped. "You wouldn't be caught daydreaming when facing a real opponent trying to kill you, would you?"

Properly chastised, I focused on my lesson. I was presently still on 'beginner's moves,' but even Gibbs admitted I was learning well.

"You're not a natural, but you're progressing as any decent student would," the older man had said. "You're still clumsy at times, but that's to be expected."

I was thrilled with the minor praise, but I tried not to let it go to my head. I couldn't afford to let my ego distract me, especially not when Jack could turn that against me. He always took advantage of any distraction, and it was very annoying.

"I can't afford to go easy on you, Evie," Jack always explained. "You need to be aware of things around you when in a battle, or you're dead. Some of us even fight through serious wounds, because if we dwell on the pain, our opponent will have the advantage, and then we're dead. It's easy as that."

That made sense, and I tried my best to focus, I really did, but it was difficult. I could only concentrate on something for so long, and it didn't help whenever Jack did his best to actually distract me, usually with a shout or some kind of sound to get me to stop following his movements. It was hard.

"Alright, that's enough for today," he said, smiling as he lowered his weapon. "Go clean up and join the girls for lunch. I've other work to do."

Thankful for the respite, I raced to tidy up and join my friends. Since I had started training with Jack, my kitchen duties had fallen off when it came to making lunch, so Rosa had taken over –which only made sense, as she was more familiar with herbs. And since she was the one who cooked luncheon, Rosa was able to get "first dibs" on helpings, and she always made sure to get lunch for not only Selene, Penny, herself, and Anna, but me as well.

Today, we were having seafood stew (again), and as always, we sat and chatted about nothing and everything we could think of. Eventually, talk turned to me and my lessons.

"You looked well out there, Evie," Penny said with a sigh. "I wish I could fight with a sword, but given my nerves, I'd drop it the minute he came at me!"

Selene nodded her agreement, but Rosa shook her head. "I wish I could learn to swordfight, but where would I have the _time_?" the Spanish beauty asked. "Gibbs has been asking me for lessons in herbs, and when I'm not teaching him, I'm teaching the girls or helping make lunch. The only free time I do have, I spend it resting and reading."

I shrugged. "It's coming along alright," I said, taking another bite of lobster from my bowl. "I know I'm only beginning, but I know I could be better if Jack would stop trying to distract me!"

"Aye, but you should know that not all distractions are a bad thing," Anna said, waving her spoon at me. "In a fight, a distraction could either end your life, or it could save it. You just have to pay attention to everything around you, and if _you_ do the distracting in a fight, you might come out alive. Perhaps that's what Jack's trying to teach you."

Well, that was a different way of looking at it, but whether Anna was right or not, only time would tell. For now, I'd do my best to follow both her advice and Jack's, and see where it got me.

Turning my attention back to my lunch, I relaxed and listened to Anna and Rosa bicker over what would (or should) be made for tomorrow's meal.

* * *

AN: Review?


	13. France

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I own nothing related to _**Pirates of the Caribbean**_. That belongs to Jerry Bruckheimer, Disney, and a bunch of other people. Only original characters and plotlines are mine.

AN: I wanted to let everyone know that I will not be updating next week due to it being Thanksgiving week. I'll be on vacation and visiting family, so there won't be much (if any) time to write and post. I promise to post as soon as I can, but it could be up to two weeks before that happens, so please be patient. In the meantime, here's the next chapter to tide you over. I hope you enjoy it, and will review. Thanks!

**Chapter 13: France:**

She liked him, he could tell. Or at least, she thought him attractive enough for him to distract her during their lessons.

Grinning, Jack leaned back in his chair, his feet kicking aside his empty bowl so that it skittered to the other side of the large table and came to a stop, just before it hit the floor. He was getting rather tired of seafood at the present time, but his good mood put that negative feeling aside.

'_Besides, we'll be in a port within the next week, give or take, so there's no need to lose all sense over food I've grown tired of_.'

Right now, he would focus on what was far more appealing and important: Evie.

Her random clumsiness was charming, and if he was reading her correctly, that awkwardness was because of him, Captain Jack Sparrow. The question was: did she admire him as the legend, or the man?

Jack knew that word had spread about his skill with a blade, so it could be that Evie was a bit awed and intimidated by being taught by a legendary pirate. That might be enough to put her off her feet during their daily lessons, and cause her to blush whenever he tried to help her.

On the other hand, if it were his dashing good looks proving to be the distraction, then it might be a good idea to proceed with one or two of his plans.

'_Well, either way I'll have to move forward, at least a little_,' Jack thought to himself.

How fortunate that Europe had all sorts of "distractions" and sights to see? Venice sounded like a good place to pick up a few things, but that was for later. Right now, supplies were the most important things to get, and there were a few merchants who owed him a few favors, so that would save him the trouble of actually _paying_ for something.

'_We could raid a few ships, but it's not a good idea to poach in another pirate's territory…especially when I'm not on good terms with most of them_.'

Jack winced at the thought. Most of the Pirate Lords that called Europe's waters 'home' weren't at the top of (or even on) Jack's list of friends, so he would have to be very careful about what he stole and who from. With any luck, they might spot a ship coming from Italy, or even further east than that.

His mind wandered towards his money pouch, which was feeling rather light at the moment. They hadn't raided many ships over the past few months because Jack wasn't ready to put the ladies' lives at risk during a battle. Raiding was important to their livelihoods, however, and so they'd been obliged to do so, but only on carefully chosen ships, and _after_ he ordered the women locked away in one of the cabins below. He only let the women out on deck _after_ the battle was won, and the stolen goods stored away.

However, they had done no raiding while in the open Atlantic, and gone out of their way to avoid battle, as they couldn't afford to have any seriously wounded sailor go too long without proper treatment. He might be a pirate, but Jack very much cared about the health and well-being of his crewmen.

"Not much choice about it now," he murmured, leaning back to stare at the ceiling. "We've gotta eat and pay for other necessities. A good raid on a fully-stocked vessel would be our best bet."

And since they were so close to European waters, there were bound to be at least a few ships to choose from. Hopefully none of the Pirate Lords in the area would find out, but if they did, they would probably be too busy with their feuds amongst themselves to notice much.

"They might even blame one another and not consider it's an outside party," Jack pondered, smiling.

Well, that did it. The next ship they encountered would be ripe for the picking.

"Sail ho!" cried a voice from above.

He grinned. Someone in the universe obviously loved him.

* * *

"I hate this," Anna complained to us, a sword clutched in one hand and a knife in another. "Trapped in here like rats is _not_ how I like spending a battle!"

"I don't like taking you away from a fight either, Anna, but that's what Jack ordered," I huffed, gripping my own weapons tightly. There was a knife in each of my hands, and I was ready to use them on whoever came barging through the door uninvited.

Behind us huddled Penny, Selene, and Rosa. Well, Penny and Selene huddled –Rosa sat there looking angry at not being given a weapon. She'd loudly complained that she wanted to fight and protect her friends, but Jack wouldn't dream of arming an inexperienced woman. The only reason _**I**_had been allowed my knives was because Anna had spoken up for me, and declared me to be better trained than the other girls were.

Above were the sounds of swords, pistols, shouts and curses –thankfully, no cannons were firing, otherwise I would have panicked. As it was, I was worried for my friends up on deck, and scared at what might happen if things turned bad (as I always feared they would). Sitting on a stool, clutching desperately onto my knives, I took a deep breath and tried to stay calm, if only for Selene and Penny's sakes. Anna, however, was as steady and collected as any true pirate could be in this situation. Then again, she was able to defend herself without worry, unlike the rest of us.

And it was because of her battle skills that she was here with the rest of us females. Jack had felt that we would be more comfortable with Anna-Maria looking out for us, rather than an imposing man, and in a way, he was right. I know for certain that Penny and Selene were thrilled to have a familiar face watching out for their safety.

Gradually, the sounds of battle faded, and the sound of cheering replaced it. That would have been a relief if it weren't for the fact that we had no idea which side had won.

It was a while before we found out, possibly half an hour or so after the last of the shouting and fighting had died off. A special knock was sounded on the cabin door, the signal that one of the Pearl's men had come down to retrieve us. Breathing a sigh of relief, I watched Anna head over to the door and peek out, her pistol still ready to fire, just in case.

"Oh, it's you," she said, smiling as she relaxed her grip on her weapons.

Rannoch's head popped through the opening, a smile on his face. "Looks like we won, girls. Come see what we've managed to get from that fat merchant ship we pillaged, aye?"

We all filed up to the top deck, feeling the usual shift in the Pearl that meant we were continuing on our journey. When we reached the deck, the other ship was sailing off towards the Atlantic, heading either to America or the Caribbean. Most of the loot had been taken down below, where Mr. Gibbs, Rosa and Penny would tally what had been acquired, and all that was left was a single chest about the size of a small barrel.

"Ladies!" Jack exclaimed with a smile. "Come see what we've managed to bring aboard for you!"

He kicked open the lid with his boot and revealed the inside of the chest. The sight made me gasp.

Silver, gold, and jewels in an array of colors and sizes dazzled the eye, and not all of it was in the shape of elaborate jewelry. There were also inlaid boxes, goblets and jeweled mirrors glittering in the warm sunlight.

Deep inside, I wondered if I would be allowed to keep one trinket for myself. So far, Jack had only let me have the "usual pay" of a pirate, meaning a bare minimum of funds for my own spending. Thus, I was immediately suspicious. Why was he being so generous now when he hadn't been before? Had something changed?

"Go on, each of you pick one small trinket," Jack said. "You've all worked long and hard on the Pearl; it's only fair that you get something in return –well, besides the usual pay, of course. My men sometimes get a small bit of treasure, so why shouldn't you?"

Rosa didn't hesitate. She immediately made for the chest, and once she gave it a quick glance, reached out to snatch a lovely ruby ring. I smiled and gave her a knowing look; the fiery red gem suited her personality perfectly. She only rolled her eyes and slipped it on her finger.

Penny chose a necklace made of thin, tiny gold links with a small pendant dangling from it. Within the pendant was a stone the size of my thumbnail. It was very appropriate, as the stone matched the color of her blue-green eyes. Selene chose a necklace as well, with three small teardrop emeralds, which matched _her_ eyes. Anna-Maria took a broad silver cuff, a plain thing with only a large white pearl set in it.

I was more difficult when it came to my choice. I had no idea which sort of precious metal or gemstone would suit me, and was at a loss as to choose. My parents had never been wealthy, and so my mother's only jewelry had been a silver locket my father had given her as a wedding gift. It currently lay around her neck, buried with her for all time.

Staring at the open chest, I felt panic rise up inside of me. I had no idea what to choose, but I had to pick _something_, and quickly, before Jack changed his mind. I didn't want anything that matched what the others had chosen, so that narrowed things down a bit. Perhaps there was something that would 'speak' to me in the mess of lovely things?

Kneeling before the chest, I began to carefully poke around. As strange as it sounded, I didn't want anything frivolous, but rather practical (in one way or another). If there were coins in here, I might take those, or maybe a prettily engraved silver goblet? I did so love silver!

I could feel eyes looking at me, so I glanced up and saw my friends staring at me. "I just want to find the right thing for me," I explained crossly. "And it's very rude to stare!"

Taking the hint, Rosa grabbed Penny and Selene and led them down to the cabins, all of them showing off their prizes to one another. Rannoch merely smiled indulgently as he trailed behind, a towering figure over the women before him.

I sighed in relief, then turned back towards the chest to continue my digging. I got about halfway through before Jack huffed and came up beside me.

"Honestly, why do women always take forever to pick jewelry?" he muttered, kneeling beside me. "Here, move aside and let someone who knows what he's doing shift through that."

Surprised, I scooted to the left a few inches and let Jack slip in on my right side. I couldn't help but be amused as he dug his way through the contents, muttering under his breath as he did so. Several minutes passed. Finally, Jack gave an "ah, ha" sound, and sat back, a triumphant look on his face.

"Here you are, my lady," Jack said teasingly as he bowed slightly, presenting his finding to me.

The sight made me gasp. It was a set of silver hair combs, clearly meant to draw the eye as a lady wore them for balls or special occasions. There were three combs, each engraved with beautiful waves trimmed with tiny blue stones, and running along the edges were two rows of pearls and gold. The effect was stunning.

"Oh, they're beautiful!" I breathed, accepting them from his hands.

He smiled. "Every woman deserves a proper set of combs. Why don't you join the other girls down below and show them off?"

Clutching them gently in my hands, I ran off, my mind whirling with the possibilities of what could be done with my hair.

* * *

Chuckling, Jack headed for his cabin, taking the small chest of valuables with him. As he began counting out the baubles and tallying their worth in his record book, his spirits grew lighter. There was quite a bit of expensive swag in this chest, no doubt because it was meant for the wealthy women of the Americas or Caribbean. Jack felt better knowing that some of it graced the beloved ladies of his crewmen, and Evie as well.

Once he finished calculating their worth and writing it down in his account book, Jack quickly deduced how much he could sell or trade it for, and what kind of extra coinage he could give his men as a reward. Some would no doubt want a trinket to give to a wench at the next port, but most would prefer real coin to spend on personal goods. That was always the hard part of being Captain: figuring out how much to distribute to his men.

His hard work done, Jack let his thoughts drift towards planning what they would be doing in Europe. There was so much to do, and given that they had were on no kind of schedule, plenty of time to do them. Evie would be given leave to find potential brides for the men, of course, but Jack wanted to have fun while they were sailing around the Atlantic and Mediterranean.

'_And by fun, I mean pillaging a few ships, and visiting many port-cities_.'

Europe was far more sophisticated when set against the Caribbean, and Jack missed the fine foods and drinks that could be found here. Not only that, but much of the most exquisite goods could only be made or bought here, and far cheaper than in the Caribbean. This could turn out to be a very profitable voyage, in more ways than one.

Taking up a bottle of rum, he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. So much to plan, and so little time!

* * *

The first port we pulled into was a place in France, along the Mediterranean. I would have thought we'd make port perhaps in Portugal or Spain, but Jack apparently had his heart set on the Mediterranean for some reason, probably because it reminded him a little of the warm waters of the Caribbean.

I was thrilled when the gangplank went down onto the dock, and even more excited when Jack took several men into the town to sell or trade the goods we had…procured. Since none of us left onboard wanted to leave before he returned with more money to pay us, I helped do chores in the galley and sat down with Rosa, Penny and Cotton to scribble out a list of supplies that we needed.

By the time Jack returned, with a very satisfied smile on his face, it was evening. The men were impatient to get their wages and head to the taverns, and shifted on their feet as Jack handed out coins to each of them. As money dropped into their palms, Rannoch, Marty and Gibbs threw looks over at their ladies, who stood with me and Anna on the side of the ship.

When he finished paying the men, Jack came over and handed each of us females a small pouch. "Fair is fair," he said. "You've all done useful work here aboard the Pearl, so here's your share. Now, go and amuse yourselves. We leave in two days, so you haven't much time to walk around and shop to your heart's content!"

The girls smiled and went to join their suitors while Anna looked over at me. "Supper?" she suggested. "French food is said to be some of the finest in the world, and it should be no trouble finding a decent place to eat."

Thus, as usual, my friend and I headed into town, where we eventually found a suitable place to have a meal. There was roast beef served with a red wine sauce, mushrooms cooked in white wine and garlic, and sliced vegetables, all of which were positively divine. To drink, there was more wine, which I decided against. When in a strange port, one should always have sound wits.

"Well," Anna said, leaning back in her chair. "There's not much going on this late at night. Shall we try and find the Captain and his men, just to see what they're up to?"

I saw no reason why not. We pushed away from the table and headed out the door, our ears open for familiar voices. It didn't take long to find the tavern we were looking for, a run-down place close to the dock, and thus, close to the Pearl.

'_So the drunk men don't have far to go to get back to the ship_,' I thought, smothering a chuckle.

We could hear them singing a song I had heard before while at sea, which made me smile. The song slowly drew to an end, and was immediately followed by cheers and laughter. Mixed in with that laughter was the sound of female voices, and I knew what was going on in there.

"Maybe we shouldn't go in," I said, halting mid-step.

Anna rolled her eyes and peeked inside. "You're right. The Captain looks mighty comfortable in there, especially with that wench in his lap, so it's probably best that we not spoil his fun. Let's go."

For some reason, my heart stopped. Jack was in there with a woman on his lap? So what he'd told me months ago was a lie: he _had_ been enjoying the company of women! How _dare_ he claim otherwise, and right to my face, too!

'_Well, given that he's a pirate with a reputation as a womanizer, am I even surprised_?' I wondered.

No, not really. But for some reason, it still hurt.

"Let's get back to the ship," I said. "I need to rest up for tomorrow."

Anna looked at me in confusion. "What happens tomorrow?"

I managed a smile. "Shopping," I answered.

* * *

It had been a long voyage, and as any sailor would, Jack headed with his crew to the nearest tavern, which like any decent tavern, had an array of serving wenches that were more than happy to offer their 'services.'

And since this _was_ France, the women were very promiscuous, and all of them knew how to keep a man occupied from the moment he sat down. This included Jack, and though part of him wanted to resist, habit and several months at sea made him act otherwise.

Once he was relatively comfortable in a chair, a woman immediately took a seat next to him, her hands bearing two mugs of rum, one for him and the other for her. She began asking for stories about his adventures and life at sea, which drew him in. Talking led to more drinking (to wet his throat, of course), and before he knew it, Jack had her firmly seated in his lap with his arm draped around her waist.

He didn't know how much time passed, but when he looked up, there was Anna-Maria at the open doorway, a knowing look on her face when she saw his situation. Staring back at her, Jack knew that he was supposed to remember something, but he couldn't. He saw his second mate look off to the side and say something to a person out of his sight, but ignored it. The wench was stroking his neck, and he rather liked it.

It wasn't until hours later, when he was back in his cabin, slightly drunk but alone, that it really hit him.

'_Anna went to supper with Evie_,' part of his mind whispered. '_Therefore, Evie must have been with her_.'

His heart froze. Evie knew what had happened last night. Bloody hell! Well, once he was sober enough to do something, he would. Right now, however, he had to get some sleep. Answers would come in the morning.

* * *

AN: Review?


	14. Planning and Suspicions

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own anything related to _**Pirates of the Caribbean**_. Well, except a Jack Sparrow poster, but that's pretty much it. Only original creations (characters, places, etc) are mine.

AN: Hello! I'm back from vacation, and here with another chapter. Thanks so much for waiting; it should be worth it. Also, thanks for reading, and please don't forget to review!

**Chapter 14: Planning and Suspicions:**

Waking up with a hangover is no picnic for any man. However, waking up with not only the hangover, but also a particular problem, is even worse.

Such was Jack's situation this morning. The day was clear, without potential of rain, and he was in a good French port. It should have implied a good day for him, but it didn't –not after what had happened the night before.

Groaning, he buried his face in a pillow and cursed. He'd been carefully 'testing the waters' when it came to Evie, and just when he'd thought he was beginning to make progress in his attempts to win her over, he'd ruined the whole thing.

'_That has to be a new record for me_,' Jack griped to himself.

But he hadn't been able to help himself, not when it came to an attentive wench after he'd been at sea for months. Granted, he had been probing the idea of winning Evie, and even had a strong suspicion that she might even _like_ being wooed by him, but things hadn't gotten very far between them, and a man has needs, after all.

'_But I did alright while we were in the Caribbean_,' he tried to reason.

Aye, but they had made port more frequently, and though he had told Evie the truth about not bedding any women, he'd spent a few hours in their company, just to ease his 'itch.'

'_Of course, she hadn't known about __**that**__, at least until last night_.'

Jack winced, first at that thought, then at the pain in his head. "First, I deal with this hangover," he growled. "Then I plan on winning Evie."

If she would let him, that is.

* * *

I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised that Jack would seek out female company after being at sea for so long. After all, given who he was and his reputation with women, it aught to have been obvious.

However, part of me was disappointed. That was the part which had made my heart beat faster during our sword lessons, and the part that hoped that Jack was "interested" in me, even in the tiniest way. It had also caused a few fleeting thoughts of romance to form in the back of my head, which I hadn't experienced in quite some time.

But that small bit was beginning to wither and lose hope. This _was_ Captain Jack Sparrow, after all, and I was a fool to think that he might feel that sort of thing for me. He wasn't the type to fall in love –he enjoyed his freedom, his rum, and his women far too much to settle for marriage to one single woman, even if that was what he said he wanted.

Sighing, I went to see if Anna was available for a game of cards. I badly needed a distraction, and perhaps she'd be able to provide it.

* * *

His head was finally clear, thanks to one of Rosa's potions (which he always kept bottles of in his cabin). Sitting down at his desk, Jack pulled out a quill and bit of paper. The inside of his head was spinning with ideas, and he had to scribble them all down quickly, before he forgot them.

Europe was full of marvelous destinations. There was a great deal to see and do here, and Jack hoped that perhaps a few of them would exude enough of their 'romantic charm' to help him win over the feisty young lady who slept in the cabin next door to his.

Under his quill, a list of places, foods, and trinkets formed on the paper. Jack knew how to gain the attentions of a woman, but Evie wasn't a wench he intended to woo for one night and leave the next morning. No, she was far more precious than that, and though she wasn't a "lady" like noblewomen were, she was still a decent, strong woman, one who was a good step above the women he usually associated with.

'_It's so hard to find those in the world these days_.'

Once his list was finished, Jack looked it over and shook his head. There were so many things that it would take a lifetime to see them all. He would have to whittle it down to something more manageable.

Down the list he went, scratching out places that were too dangerous to take even his best crewmen, much less a ship with women onboard. England was out of the question; he was very much a wanted man in that realm, and there were many men in the Royal Navy who would love to get the reward for his head. The Mediterranean was the safest place in Europe for pirates right now, so here was where they would stay.

Sitting back in his chair, Jack stared at the sheet of parchment and frowned. France could be a beautiful place, but right now, he had the feeling that it might hold bad memories for Evie, so he would have to choose a different country altogether if he wanted to get things set on the right path.

He smiled. '_I know just the place_.'

* * *

We left the little French port after two days, and I couldn't have felt happier about it. I had done a great deal of thinking, and come to the conclusion that I'd been imagining things when it came to Jack "showing interest" in me. I was too inexperienced in the area of "being wooed" to recognize gestures of mere kindness, and had mistaken it for something…more. Silly me.

Thank goodness for Anna-Maria. She had seen that I was upset about something, and attributed it to my monthlies, so she'd gone out of her way to try and cheer me up. We had walked through town, eaten a great deal of French food, shopped a little, _and_ I managed to learn a little bit of French –well, just enough to bargain in the marketplace, but it was still more than I'd known before.

Not long after we left the little French port behind, rumors began swirling around about how we were going to visit various places in Italy.

The moment I heard that, all of the unpleasantness in France flew from my mind. Instead, a hundred happy possibilities replaced it. Images of art, music, rich food, and glorious history beckoned to me, and I immediately began to grow excited.

When one really thought about it, the Caribbean was relatively "new" when compared to Europe –there was so much more history and art in the Old World, and I was thrilled at the opportunity of being able to see some of it.

"Italy," I breathed dreamily.

Rome and Venice were the top of my list to visit, as were Genoa and Naples. Merchants who had paused in Port Thomas sometimes brought Italian goods with them, and though few were able to afford the expensive items, the merchants still displayed the laces, jewelry, and artwork that they carried. Best of all were the tales of the different cities, and the beauty they possessed.

Unable to bear the excitement, I timidly approached Jack, who stood at the helm, carefully guiding the Pearl towards its destination. "May I ask where we'll be heading to first, Captain?" I asked, keeping my voice respectful.

He grinned. "I was thinking of visiting whichever port showed up first, but if you have a request, luv, feel free to chime in."

Oh, dear, he shouldn't have asked me to do that. There were so many European cities to see, some of them I was sure were nowhere near the ocean, and now I had to randomly throw out a place I would like to visit? That was not fair.

I chewed my lower lip in thought. "Venice?" I timidly suggested.

To my relief, Jack seemed to agree with my choice. "Excellent idea, Evie. Venetian goods are always in demand, and if I can trade or bargain my way into a few pieces, then I'll be sure to get a good price for them in the Caribbean. Well done."

Blushing, I turned and headed down to the deck to join Anna, who needed help with the ropes.

* * *

Well, that was unexpected. Jack had planned a quick trip to one of the islands hovering off the Italian peninsula, but since Evie suggested Venice, that was where they would go.

And he hadn't been lying when he'd complimented her choice –Venice was a prime place to trade some of the goods he'd raided, and to acquire a few precious Italian objects that he could sell in the Caribbean for a sizable profit. It was an opportunity he could not pass by.

'_It will also give me the chance to obtain pretty trinkets for a particular venture of mine_.'

Jack couldn't hold back a grin. Honestly, Evie couldn't possibly be more helpful when it came to him and his efforts towards her. She had pointed him in a direction that would not only make him a tidy profit, but also towards a romantic, beautiful city that would certainly assist him in his wooing endeavors.

'_And there are a few friends of mine I'd like to visit_,' he thought with a savage grin. '_It doesn't hurt that they owe me a few favors, too_.'

They wouldn't like him calling on those debts, but as the saying went: all's fair in love and war…

* * *

Something was going on –Anna could feel it.

There was the undercurrent of something in the air, and she had a feeling that it had to do with Jack and Evie, both of whom she respected, but in different ways.

As her Captain, Anna had a certain respect for Jack, even if he was a liar, a cheat, and sometimes an idiot. However, he was a good man, and a good Captain –he always cared for his crew, for his ship, and made sure that every bit of swag was shared out equally, even to her, the only female crewmember.

As for Evie, she was the first real female friend that Anna had made since childhood –which had been hard, and friends few and far between. Evie was sweet, but strong and determined, which made her a great woman, at least in Anna's eyes. The young matchmaker was also hard-working, friendly, kind, and open to being friends with everyone, a rare trait to be found indeed.

But the difference in the air worried the second mate of the Black Pearl. Anna suspected that it had more to do on Jack's side of the matter rather than Evie's –she was willing to bet a great deal on that.

Jack's sudden change in demeanor was subtle, at least to most folks, but not to Anna-Maria –she knew the man's manners and ways, and she could see a great deal that others couldn't. And what she saw, she didn't like.

Jack Sparrow's escapades with women were well-known throughout the pirate world. Women knew him instantly because of his unique appearance, as well as from his "Wanted" posters, and many of them flocked to him in droves, which was exactly the way he liked it. The fact that he now wanted to marry was completely against his character –but then, it had happened to his father, Captain Teague, who had always thought he'd die a bachelor. And there was the slight chance that Jack felt the need to have a wife and heir to his ship, which was probably why the young matchmaker was onboard.

However, Anna knew that the sword lessons had to have some kind of hidden agenda behind it. Although it had also been a good idea for helping Evie defend herself, Anna had observed them from a distance, and there was no mistaking the way he had begun looking at Anna's friend. She immediately knew that it had been an act on Jack's part, and she did _not_ like the idea of Jack toying with Evie's affections. He was a sly fellow, and she didn't doubt that he was using the lessons as a way to try and find a way into Evie's bed.

Anna-Maria would not let such a thing happen to her dear friend. Evie's heart and feelings were _not_ to be toyed with, and she would see that no harm came to her.

And to do that, she was going to go have a word with her Captain.

* * *

"I won't have it, Jack," she hissed, crossing her arms as she glared at him. "You know I won't bloody well let it happen."

Biting back a groan and a sigh, Jack leaned against the table and looked at his crewmember. She had practically ordered him down from the helm, citing some sort of need to talk. Since Anna was a fine second mate, Jack had decided to oblige her, and left the helm in Gibbs's care as he retreated to his cabin, Anna leading the way.

Once he was within the confines of the room, Anna had shut the door and glared at him as he took a relaxed position by his large table. This was the situation he'd found himself in, and he wasn't sure as to what this was about, but he had a good idea. Still, it was best to be sure before proceeding.

Tilting his head to the side, Jack pasted on an indulgent smile. "And what won't you allow, Anna-Maria?" he asked, feeling somewhat amused at the whole thing.

She huffed. "I won't have you treating Evie like some kind of play thing," she retorted. "I don't know what kind of game you're playing, Jack, but Evie is my friend, and I won't have you winning and breaking her heart. If you do, you'll regret it."

He glared at her –if there was one thing Jack Sparrow didn't like, it was a threat. This one was particularly dangerous as it was coming from his second mate, a woman who was not only strong, but also skilled with weaponry and with a great amount of respect amongst the crew.

"Anna," Jack drawled, keeping his tone calm and controlled, "You know I dislike my crew saying such things, either behind my back or in front of my face."

Standing straight, he approached her, walking slowly and purposely to face her. "Now, in regards to Evie, I'll tell you that my intentions towards her are certainly honorable. However, right now I'm 'testing the waters with her,' as it were, to see if she's the sort of woman for me and to examine my own feelings towards her. Anything further than that is an uncertainty."

She, of course, didn't believe him. "You rarely do anything you're unsure of, Sparrow. You know that Evie is a good, honest girl, and your playing with her is not going to be tolerated, either by me nor by the other girls on the ship. And there are bound to be a few men who wouldn't like _anyone_ leading the poor girl around, much less their Captain!"

Anna was right about that, but Jack wouldn't admit it aloud. Instead, he said, "I'm well aware of that, Anna-Maria. I also happen to know what I'm doing, and I will be sure to handle the situation as delicately as possible so as to avoid an unfortunate outcome. Now, I believe there's some work for you to do on deck?"

Much to his relief, she took the hint and stalked out, muttering curses under her breath. Left alone at last, Jack allowed himself a sigh. "Well, that was unexpected," he murmured.

Having Anna thrown into the matter was not part of his plans, but there it was. He now had to be sure that she didn't completely destroy everything he was putting into place, and that could be tricky.

"Or I could get her to help me with winning Evie," he muttered.

No, she might just try to ruin it all anyway. Jack immediately decided to do this on his own, and if he needed Anna's help, he would ask her. For now, it was all in his very capable hands.

And that was exactly how he liked it.

* * *

AN: A shorter chapter this time around, but next time it'll be longer. Thanks so much for reading, and please review!


	15. Venice

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own anything related to _**Pirates of the Caribbean**_. Well, except a Jack Sparrow poster, but that's pretty much it. Only original creations (characters, places, etc) are mine.

AN: Here we are, another week, another chapter featuring our favorite Captain! Don't forget to keep an eye out for the official _**Pirates 4**_ trailer on Monday, December 13th! It should be awesome! In the meantime, enjoy this chapter, and don't forget to review!

**Chapter 15: Venice:**

Venice was absolutely breathtaking. Even though I could not much of it from the deck, I could tell that the homes of the wealthy were incredible pieces of art. They were like floating palaces, and the small boats (or rather, gondolas) which traveled the canals were just as beautifully made as the houses. Before today, I had never seen boats lined with silk or velvet, or inlaid with precious gold or gems, all of it glittering in the day's sunlight as a servant gently guided the vessel to its destination. Some of the servants were even singing in Italian, their voices rich and ringing as they worked.

All of this I observed from the deck of the Pearl as we pulled up to one of the city's numerous docks. Behind me, Jack had ordered the men to run up the white canvas sails and a few 'friendly flags,' so that most people wouldn't recognize us as a pirate ship.

"Evie, come here!" Gibbs called softly. "I need to talk to you about something."

Curious, I headed over to my friend, who stood near the entrance to Jack's cabin. "The Captain thinks it would be best for you and Anna-Maria to dress as proper women while we're here," he said, nervously.

I stared at him, puzzled. "Why?"

Gibbs sighed. "We're going under the guise that this is a merchant vessel, and you and the girls are passengers. Anna wasn't thrilled about it, but all of you females will be dressed in somewhat decent clothes to keep up appearances. Some of us men will be better dressed as guards or guides whenever you go into town, but while we're here, you'll have to be in gowns."

He jerked his head towards Jack's cabin. "Captain's got a stack of dresses in there for you to sort and pick through. The others have already chosen their dresses, but apparently you get to pick from the best we've got. Whatever you don't want, the others can divide amongst themselves later."

"I get best pick?" I asked in disbelief. "Why? And where did the gowns come from, anyway?"

Gibbs merely shrugged. "I don't question orders, Evie –it's not a good idea. And the gowns came from some of our previous raids. Jack likes to keep things like that handy for situations like this, and since there are several of you lasses onboard now, he's acquired quite a few garments. Now, scoot. Captain's eager to get on shore, and you need to get ready, so be quick."

I tried not to roll my eyes at him. Oh, how little men know about women and their dressing habits! "Mr. Gibbs, I'll need someone to help me," I gently told him. "Could you send one or two of the girls to meet me?"

Sighing, he nodded and headed out off, leaving me to enter Jack's cabin alone.

The moment I stepped inside, I couldn't help but stare. The table at the center of the room had been cleared off (though the side tables seemed unusually cluttered), and on the central table was a large pile of material, some quite dazzling to the eye. Swallowing an excited squeal, I rushed to look through everything.

The first dress was a rich blue velvet gown with a silvery-white underskirt, and silver embroidery along the bodice and the hem of the gown's skirts. Lovely white lace trimmed the neckline and sleeves, adding a delicate look to the heavy gown.

There was also a green silk dress, with a lighter green underskirt. This one had no embellishments, and was clearly meant to be a simple, elegant gown that could be of everyday use. Then there was a maroon satin with gold trim and embroidery, a bright sky-blue silk, and a pale, dusty pink that reminded me of roses.

But what truly caught my attention was the deep red velvet gown at the very bottom, a magnificent thing with gold and black designs along the skirt and bodice. The lace along the sleeves and neckline were black and gold as well, adding an air of mystery and richness to the glorious garment.

"Well," I breathed, holding the dress up against me, "I think I've found the right dress."

Someone '_tsked_' behind me. Whirling around, I came face-to-face with Anna and the rest of the girls, all of them with dresses in their arms. "Sorry, Evie, but I couldn't help but be curious about what you might choose," Anna said, a smile on her lips.

Penny giggled. "And we came so that we could all dress together. I even brought ribbons!" She showed me the large tangle of colorful bits of cloth.

Smiling, I put the dress back on the table. "I think I found the one."

Anna grinned. "Evie, I don't think that wearing a dress fit for a duchess is a good idea," she gently chided me. "Unless you plan on attending the theater or something, which I doubt would be a good idea."

I sighed. "I know, but I think I'll keep it, just in case."

Looking at my friends, I took in the pretty outfits they had all chosen, even Anna-Maria. The Pearl's second mate had a dull gold morning dress that would certainly suit her skin tone, and brought out her eyes. Penny had a pale blue silk dress that would make her look soft and pretty, and if she put her hair up into a bun with a matching ribbon, she'd be enchanting. Selene bore a soft green, and Rosa had a vibrant lavender gown, both of them looking quite excited as they bustled into the cabin.

"Now it's your turn!" squealed Selene, who rushed to help choose a dress for me.

Eventually, the lot of them decided on the maroon gown, stating that it fit my hair and eyes, and that it was certainly meant for me. It took us quite some time getting into our gowns, as it had been quite a while since we'd worn them, but after struggling with corsets and bodice ties, we were finally dressed.

The others chose matching ribbons for their hair, but for mine, I had the beautiful silver hair combs that Jack had given me. Rosa voiced her admiration of them as she pulled my locks up into a graceful upturn and carefully placed the combs to hold it all up.

"There, you look perfect," she declared, obviously proud of her handiwork. "Now, let's go. I'm famished, and I want to see what kinds of food they have here."

Laughing, we all filed up onto the deck, chattering girlishly about our outfits. I couldn't help but be giddy –I had never worn a gown this fine in my life, and it felt marvelous! Not only that, but I was in a fantastic port city renowned for its wealth, beauty, and culture! I couldn't wait to explore it.

"I say we go have lunch somewhere," Selene put in as we gathered on deck. "Rannoch will be coming with us, so we'll have a very intimidating escort into town."

We all agreed that lunch sounded perfect, and were pleasantly surprised to see Marty and Gibbs accompanying Rannoch to join us, all of them cleaned up and dressed in good clothes that would help them fit in as our "protectors." The men proceeded to compliment us, making us all blush and giggle while they claimed the hands of their women.

"Well, ladies, where to?" Gibbs asked, tucking Rosa's hand in his elbow.

When he heard our suggestion about lunch, he quickly agreed that a good meal was too good to pass, and he immediately led us all down the gangplank to the dock, where we proceeded to follow him into the streets of Venice.

* * *

It was the oddest lunch I'd ever had, but it was still delicious.

Our rather large group stopped at a local eatery and asked for whatever was fresh and the place's specialties, which turned out to be a rather large meal. It began with each of us receiving a plate of cold pickled vegetables and marinated seafood, such as shrimp and octopus. This was followed by a bowl of hot soup, and something called 'pasta,' which were strands of boiled dough, cooked with tomatoes, shrimp, fish, crab, and more vegetables. I immediately became fond of pasta, and our server explained that it came in many different shapes and sizes, and that there were many different ingredients to cook it with.

Dessert was a light coffee mixed with crème, with some marvelous whipped foam on the top. Accompanying it were the lightest cookies I'd ever eaten, and when the last bite had been consumed, I was filled to bursting.

With our bellies full, the lot of us went out into the streets, our senses taking in everything that surrounded us. Italian filled our ears while we looked at the different types of people walking through the streets or gliding by in their gondolas. Shopkeepers shouted their wares, and servants bargained loudly for the best prices on fish, meat, vegetables, and bread.

"Oh, my," I breathed. "I've never been in a city this big before. It's quite overwhelming, isn't it?"

The other girls agreed, and we immediately began fingering our little money pouches, all of us wondering what we could afford to buy while we were here. We had raided a ship only a short time ago, but who knew when we'd find another and get more money to spend? Given where we were, we would have to be _very_ careful when it came to our spending habits.

In our outfits, we ladies fit in rather well, and the men looked like male servants trailing their employers, so none of us attracted any unwanted attention. I had to glare at Gibbs when he pick-pocketed a passing nobleman (who appeared to be rather intoxicated), but said nothing. These men were pirates, after all.

Hours passed by, and before we knew it, it was time to return to the Pearl. By then, we were all exhausted, and since we'd been walking around for ages, my feet ached something dreadful. Thank goodness we hadn't had to wear any fancy shoes during our time in the city –I'd kept on my boots, and the skirt of my gown kept my feet hidden from view, so I was able to get away with it.

Luckily, by the time we returned, supper was ready, and I was more than eager to get out of my dress. Though beautiful, it was still heavy, cumbersome, and a terrible pain to wear. Besides, the corset was beginning to itch through the thin undergarments.

Once we'd changed clothes and had supper (a savory stew of cooked meat and vegetables), I told my friends that I was exhausted, and was heading off to bed. They waved good-night to me, and soon, I was in bed, dreaming of beautiful Italian goods, delicious food, and more than excited for the next day to dawn so that I could experience it all again.

* * *

Dawn came, and when it did, I was awake and ready to face the day. Selene and Penny practically threw themselves into my cabin, both of them already dressed in pretty, but simple, gowns, and in their arms was the dusty pink gown I had see the day before.

"Quick!" Selene cried, helping me to dress. "The Captain gave Anna-Maria some spending money for us today, so we can buy something lovely for each of us! Come _on_, Evie!"

Chuckling, I let them dress me and pull my hair up into a braided bun, a pink ribbon running through it for decoration. When they were finished, they proceeded to drag me out of my cabin, down the gangplank, and onto the dock where our friends awaited us.

Breakfast was an assortment of light pastries, fruit, coffee, and toast with jam, which we happily indulged in before rushing for the marketplace. Since Rosa and Anna-Maria were the most levelheaded of us, we entrusted them with the money and would count on them to prevent any overly expensive purchases.

Our second exploration proved far more successful than our first, as most of us managed to find some memorable trinkets to buy. We found a stall that sold inexpensive glass jewelry, another that sold ladies' fans painted in different Italian styles, and a bookshop that carried books in many different languages, from French to Greek or English.

Penny and Rosa purchased several pairs of glass earrings from the jewelry stall, and even a few pendants to create their own matching sets. Selene indulged and bought a few ladies' fans, claiming that she could use them whenever she grew too hot, and all of us practically emptied our pockets at the bookshop. We all remembered the seemingly endless journey here to Europe, and decided we would be better prepared for the return trip.

When lunchtime came, we barely had enough for a shared meal, but it was well worth it. Besides, a platter of cold meats, vegetables, bread, and fresh, chilled seafood was the perfect meal to share with friends. Even the men had managed to enjoy themselves and buy a few books of their own.

We were halfway through dessert when I felt someone nudge my side. Since I'd been enjoying a delicious fruit tart, I was annoyed to say the least, but the look on Penny's face made me curious.

"What is it?" I asked, turning back towards my tart.

"That man is looking at you," she whispered. "No, no, don't look, I'll tell you. He's sitting in the corner, well-dressed and rather handsome, with grey eyes."

I tried not to sigh or laugh at her. "Penny, dear, he could just be looking about the place. I doubt that he's looking at _me_."

"Oh, he's lookin'," Anna muttered. "And I'm not sure I like the _way_ he's looking at you, either."

Now I _was_ curious. Turning my head slightly, I risked a peek over my shoulder.

He was certainly a handsome sight. A black tricorn hat embroidered with gold braid was perched on top of his head (which bore a perfectly powdered wig), and a matching coat was fitted perfectly to his form. Under the black coat was a grey-and-black vest with gold buttons; and under _that_ lay a fine white shirt. Though his clothes weren't of the best material, they were the height of fashion, and well-made, marking him as either a lesser nobleman or a wealthy merchant.

When he saw me glance over, he lifted his glass of wine slightly, then drank, a flirtatious smile on his face.

Blushing, I turned and failed to smother a giggle. Anna rolled her eyes while Penny and Selene joined in my giggles. Rosa motioned for us to hush and told us to finish eating because we had to leave.

"It's getting late, and we've had a long day," she chided us. "We need to get back and take a rest before we entertain ourselves for the evening."

She was right about that. We had earlier decided to spend the evening on the Pearl, playing cards or dice games. Gibbs had somehow managed to procure a few bottles of fine Italian wine, and we had planned to make a night of it.

Throwing a reluctant glance over my shoulder, I allowed the girls to lead me out of the café and into the street, my heart rising and falling as we walked. Part of me was sad to leave such a potential suitor behind, but another part hoped that I would see the stranger again during another trip into the city.

I bit back a sigh. '_If only I could be so lucky_.'

Thankfully, our walk back to the Pearl was quick, and my friends provided a great distraction. Their cheerfulness and love of fun kept my mind busy until late in the evening, when I retired to bed, slightly drunk but happy.

Well, sort of …

* * *

Jack was _not_ a happy man, and there were several reasons why.

First, he had been robbed –not of treasure or gold, but of Evie's precious time. Her friends amongst the crew and the women had thoroughly stolen her from the Pearl before he'd even had a chance to so.

Second, he hadn't been able to see Evie in one of the gowns he'd provided her because he'd been far too preoccupied with restocking the Pearl with food, water, and ammunition for future raids. It was part of his job as Captain to see to these tasks, but when it depraved him of seeing the one person he longed to see most, it was frustrating.

But what angered him the most was the fact that some Italian had his eyes set on Evie, and _that_ was not to be tolerated.

Gibbs, faithful first mate that he was, had spilled the whole thing to him late in the evening, after everyone had gone to bed. The older man had come to visit, slightly off his feet with drink, and eager to keep his Captain informed on the latest happenings amongst the crew. Since Jack needed to be assured of the temperament of his crewmembers, this was usually a good talk to have with his first mate.

Tonight had been different.

"Aye, Evie's a good sort," Gibbs had said as Jack poured him a mug of rum. "Sweet thing, very helpful. It's a shame that no one on the crew has taken a fancy to her, but then, no one wants to mess with the feelings of the ship's matchmaker. It's about time she found someone, and that Italian fellow seems about right for a proper girl like her."

Jack had gripped the bottle in his hand so tightly he thought it might shatter. "Italian fellow?" he drawled, trying to keep his feelings in check. "What sort of tales are you spinning this time, Gibbs?"

"Oh, someone who showed an inclination towards Evie while we were at our midday meal," Gibbs said, unaware of the murderous feelings he was stirring up in his Captain. "Evie was looking very charming in her pink dress, and a young rich type gave her a good look-over –he even lifted his glass to her. I suspect he might have come over and introduced himself if the girls hadn't ushered us out a minute later."

Well, thank heavens for that! Jack made a note to give the girls a little extra coinage to thank them for their unknowing aid in getting Evie away from that potential suitor.

But that only brought up the fact that someone had seen Evie and decided that she might be worth pursuing. Jack would _not_ allow that to happen. He had to act, and act quickly.

It was time to put his plans into action.

* * *

AN: Review?


	16. Fragile as Glass

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I own nothing related to _**Pirates of the Caribbean**_. That belongs to Jerry Bruckheimer, Disney, and a bunch of other people. Only original characters and plotlines are mine.

AN: Kind of a sweet chapter, which I think suits the holiday season. I hope that everyone enjoys themselves, and will leave a review. Oh, the glassblower in this chapter is completely fictional, and my knowledge of glassblowing is limited to non-existent, so please forgive any mistakes on my part. Thanks, and please review!

**Chapter 16: Fragile as Glass:**

Dawn's early light flowed into his cabin, but he didn't notice it. Pacing the length and width of his sleeping quarters, Jack waited for the expected knock on the door. When it sounded, announcing the arrival of his crewmember, he barked for them to enter. The door opened, and in came Anna-Maria, a confused and impatient look on her face.

"This had better be important, Sparrow," she retorted, closing the door behind her. "I was in the middle of helping Rosa with a special herb mixture, and if it isn't done right, she'll have my head."

He ignored that. "Why didn't you tell me about the Italian trying to woo Evie?" he demanded.

She blinked at him, then sighed. "Let me guess; Gibbs told you, didn't he? Well, it's true –there was an Italian fellow giving Evie an admiring eye yesterday, but it's not something to get upset over."

"_Nothing to get upset over_?" Jack snapped angrily. "You know that I plan on winning over Evie, and you let someone else try to get their mitts on her? Do you know the efforts I'm going to have to go through now because of this? If someone else manages to get her attention, there'll be Hell to pay, Anna, mark my words!"

His second mate stared at him in surprise for several moments before allowing a smirk to pull at her mouth. "Ah, so you admit you've got feelings for Evie? Well, that's progress, I suppose. And don't worry about that Italian; he probably forgot all about her as soon as we left the café."

"That's not good enough, Anna," he growled.

She snorted. "Well, it's good for you to have to actually _work_ to get something you want," she declared. "You always were too quick to win women over and dispose of them, so let this be a good lesson for you. It's time you put some _real_ effort into getting a woman and keeping her longer than one night."

By now, Jack was trying _very_ hard to keep from strangling his second mate. "Anna, you're walking a very fine line right now, so don't try and push me further. What I need you to do from now on is keep other men away from Evie until I can arrange a few things. Can you do that for me?"

Apparently she got his point, because she nodded emphatically. "Aye, sir, I can do that. It won't be easy, considering how well those gowns flatter her, but it can be done. The other girls won't understand why I'm keeping men away from Evie, though –they want her to be as happy with a man as they are with theirs. You'll have to hurry before they start getting suspicious."

Damn it, she was right. "I'm getting started on it today. In the meantime, keep Evie occupied and away from potential suitors, savvy? Otherwise, it'll be your head."

After a quick nod of agreement, Anna turned and left with a slightly worried look on her face. That was a good sign, since it meant she knew he was serious about this venture.

Heaving a sigh of relief, Jack reached for his money pouch and strapped it on. He had some serious work to do.

* * *

Today's visit into Venice was much like it had been the day before, with one exception –Anna was unusually anxious, and I couldn't understand why.

Normally, it took a lot to unnerve Anna, so something had to have happened recently to make her act on edge. In all the time I had known her, I'd rarely seen her so antsy, and I didn't like it. Anna-Maria was tough as nails, and to see her so disturbed worried me.

"Anna, are you alright?" I asked her over lunch. The other girls were busy going through the pouch of glass beads that Rosa had purchased, and the men had gone to refill their cups with the local wine, leaving me free to speak privately with my friend.

She started, seeming to pull her eyes and attention from where they had been wandering to, and looked at me. "Sorry, Evie," she apologized, "I've just got something on my mind, that's all."

I noticed her eying a few of the fellows in the corner, who were casting glances straight back at our direction. '_Oh, so __**that's**__ it_!'

Obviously, I was certainly more surprised than anything. Not once had Anna-Maria ever indicated that she was in search of a husband –she always seemed so independent and sure of herself, as though the thought of marrying never crossed her mind.

'_Then again, she lives on a ship full of men who don't bathe regularly_,' I reminded myself. '_And most of them have terrible table manners, if they have any at all_.' That was certainly enough to put any woman off of marrying, and Anna was no exception!

But after watching our friends in their happiness, it was really no wonder that she was starting to consider the idea of finding someone to be with.

The problem, of course, was finding a man who could keep up (and put up!) with her. Most men found Anna-Maria to be intimidating, at best, and downright infuriating at worst. She was strong, hard-working, independent, and she knew how to fight her way out of a rough situation. Yes, finding the right fellow for her was going to be a very real challenge.

'_About as challenging as finding the right woman for Jack_,' part of me snickered.

At the thought of Jack, my good mood vanished. I kept imagining him with a wench in his lap, and wondered how many other times he'd had women keeping him company. He'd said that he hadn't bedded a woman since bringing me aboard the Pearl, but how could I trust his word on that?

Biting back a sigh, I tried to focus on something else, namely on finding Anna a perfect match, and doing the same for Jack. It wouldn't be easy, but with enough effort, I was sure it could be done.

It would take a bit of time, though…

* * *

'_How do I get pulled into these things_?' Anna thought to herself, taking a good gulp of Italian wine to sooth her frustration.

As fond as she was of Evie, the female pirate hated having to watch over her friend the way an overprotective nursemaid did with her charge. What really upset Anna, however, was that Evie was a grown woman who deserved to be happy, and Jack was messing things up, as usual.

'_Honestly, if the man would just admit his feelings, everything would be cleared up_,' she thought, barely keeping from rolling her eyes.

But no, Jack had to do things the complicated way, and that meant trouble for not only Anna, but also for Evie. The poor matchmaker knew nothing about Jack's odd, twisted methods, and who knew how long it would take for her to puzzle it out for herself?

'_In the meantime, things will spin wildly from one way to another, and the rest of us will all be caught in the middle, as always_.'

Anna gritted her teeth. If there were a way that she could rush things along, she'd do it. Unfortunately, Jack would see right through her actions, and immediately put a stop to them. Jack hated it when someone interfered with his plans, and Anna had the distinct feeling that he might well gully her for sure if she tried to push things.

'_I guess that means I'll have to be subtle when it comes to helping them along_,' she decided.

Unfortunately, she would have to simply grin and bear it. For now, at least…

* * *

Anna's mood hadn't improved when we returned to the ship, but I decided to let it pass. When we split to return to our cabins to change, I was intercepted by Jack, who immediately took my arm and led me back to the gangplank.

"Evie, luv, I've managed to arrange something I think you'll like," Jack said, leading me down to the dock.

I stared at him as he tucked my hand in the crook of his elbow. "What is it?"

He grinned at me. "We're going to visit one of the finest glassblowers in Venice. You'll watch him make one of his pieces, and perhaps pick out something pretty as a keepsake. What do you say?"

Excitement fluttered through me. The pieces I had seen here in Venice were incredibly beautiful, and I had often wondered how a master of the craft was able to create such marvelous work. Now I was being given the chance to see it up close!

"It sounds wonderful!" I exclaimed, an excited grin spreading across my face.

Jack chuckled. "Then let's be off, shall we?"

* * *

The glassblower was Italian, and since my grasp of the language was practically nonexistent, I could only stand and let Jack do all the talking. I watched the two shake hands, exchange smiles, and chat a bit while I awkwardly stood by. Finally, the two turned towards me, and the glassblower, a tall, wiry, older man named Alejandro Vitucci, smiled as he babbled something to me in Italian.

"Alex here says that you're welcome to watch him work, though it'll be rather hot and humid," Jack translated. "There'll be cool drinks provided, should you need one, and his apprentice will fetch food whenever you're hungry."

He then translated my thanks to Alejandro, and we were escorted into a large room which was hotter than anything I had ever experienced before. There was an open window on the ceiling, allowing heat to escape while also letting fresh air and the occasional breeze in. However, it was still stifling, and I began to sweat almost immediately.

I have no idea how the master and apprentice managed to work in the heat, but they did, and it was fascinating to watch. The heating of the glass wasn't particularly thrilling, but once it was removed from the flaming oven, it was like watching a magician work. The glass was like thick, colorful syrup that could be stretched, twisted, and shaped into a dizzying array of shapes, colors, and sizes –it was hard to believe that a ball of glass the size of my fist could be made into so many forms.

All of the work was impressive, to say the least. Within the span of a few hours, Alejandro had managed to create two vases in the shapes of blooming flowers; a chalice with a green stem that twisted upwards to support the violet-blue cup; and a set of red-and-gold perfume bottles.

When I could no longer bear the heat, Alejandro's apprentice led Jack and I to a small building that stood a fair distance from the furnace (in case of fire, I suppose). Inside was heaven for any woman: a jewelry shop with marvelous displays glittering beneath (what else?) glass. Here was where Alejandro's wife reigned, for the shop sold not only large pieces of glass, but also glass beads and necklaces in all lengths, colors, and styles. I could feel my eyes go dreamy at the sight of the glittering pieces.

Signora Theresa Vitucci was a round, jolly woman who sat me in a cool corner and plied me with Italian pastries, chilled wine, and fresh fruit. I didn't understand a word she was saying, but Jack looked amused as she chattered in Italian and gently patted my arm or shoulder, as though she were assuring herself that I hadn't melted a bit in the furnace's heat. I'd been given a great deal of water while watching Alejandro make glass, but the food and chilled wine were far more refreshing and satisfying.

After the food had been cleared away, Signora Vitucci approached Jack and asked him something in Italian. He nodded and stood up, motioning for me to do the same. Puzzled, I did as he bid, and was surprised when he offered me his hand.

"Come along, luv," he said, beckoning me. "She wants to show you her workers and her shop, and you can't do that sitting in the corner!"

Blushing, I took his hand and the two of us followed our hostess into the back of the shop, where a dozen young boys and girls sat, each of them hard at work. Some were focused on setting gemstones into silver or gold necklaces, rings, or bracelets; others threaded thin chains of precious metals through glass beads of different shapes and sizes. In the corners were two or three apprentices, etching detailed designs into their master's glasswork.

As I look around, spellbound by the care and imagination that went into designing Italian jewelry, Jack spoke quietly with Signora Vitucci, the two of them keeping quiet to as not to distract anyone. One young man looked subtly up at me and smiled before giving me a wink, his brilliant blue eyes snapping back to his work as Jack and Signora approached me.

"Evie, Signora here says that, since you've been such a good sport today, you get to pick out a lovely bit of jewelry from the front of shop," Jack said, grinning.

He waved aside my protests. "Now, luv, don't go throwing away a perfectly good opportunity like this! There are noblewomen all over Europe who would give their eyeteeth for a necklace made with Venetian glass beads, and here you are trying to refuse one! Now, don't argue, just come along and pick out something for that pretty neck of yours, savvy?"

Soundly chastised, I smiled my thanks to our hostess and followed her back into the shop, where she proceeded to wave a hand at the expensive goods that lay within the wood-and-glass cases. Tentatively taking a step forward, I bent forward slightly to get a better look.

There were so many to choose from, and no doubt most of them cost more than I could ever make in my lifetime. Silver, jewels, glass, and three different colors of gold sat in dazzling arrangements before me, and all of them were fit for a queen. How was I supposed to choose one flower from a garden of perfect blossoms?

'_Keep it as simple and inexpensive as possible_,' I firmly told myself. '_And choose something that can be worn with anything and everything_.'

Easier said than done. Even the simplest piece here was likely worth a fortune, but I had to try. It didn't help that diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and opals sparkled at me, begging me to choose them to adorn my neck. Rose gold, white gold, and traditional yellow brought out the colors of the gems, making it even harder to try and choose something modestly priced.

After looking at every case, I still couldn't choose. I even went back through twice more, and was still stumped. Finally, Jack sighed and threw his hands up in the air. "Luv, do us a favor, aye? Tell me what you're looking for, and I'll see if Vitucci has it."

I quickly told him, and he, in turn, related it to Signora in Italian. Her eyes brightened immediately, and she bustled back to the work room. A few moments later, she emerged with something wrapped in soft black velvet, which she set on one of the glass cases. Gently unfolding the material, she revealed a stunning necklace.

A single strand of tiny yellow gold links became three, which would rest upon the wearer's breast. Adorning the gold chain were sparkling opals, small white pearls, and shining gold-colored glass beads, with three fair-sized white teardrop pearls that would rest just above my cleavage. It all came together perfectly to create an enchanting work of art.

"It's exquisite," I breathed, reaching out to gingerly touch it. "But it's far more than I asked for, Jack. I couldn't possibly-"

Jack motioned for me to hush. "Now, now, none of that," he said.

Turning to the Signora, he nodded, a clear indication that we would take the necklace. She smiled excitedly and chattered in Italian, motioning to the necklace and then to me. For some reason, Jack looked pleased with what she'd said, and nodded his head in agreement.

"Turn around, Evie," he said, his tone allowing no argument.

Puzzled, I obediently turned, and waited. A moment later, the necklace slowly dropped before my eyes to settle on my neck, the coolness of the metal, pearls, and beads sending a small chill down my spine. As it settled into place, I felt the soft touch of his fingers as they fastened the necklace in place.

For a moment, I could have sworn that those fingers had caressed my neck, an intimate touch that lasted only a second, but which seemed forever. My breath caught as my stomach fluttered. Then it was gone, and all that was left was the necklace.

Swallowing my disappointment, I turned around. Signora Vitucci was nodding her approval, a pleased smile on her face. Jack, however, was looking at me as though he'd never seen me before. Flushing slightly, I looked down and pretended to brush off my dress.

"It suits you, Evie," he said, causing me to look up. There was now a pleased grin on his face, and I could guess it was because he'd managed to find a keepsake for me when I couldn't. "Now, shall we be off for supper? There's a nice place Alejandro suggested to me, and I intend to partake in a good deal of the local vintages."

Rolling my eyes in amusement, I bobbed a small curtsey of thanks to Signora, who immediately took my hands, pressed a small, empty velvet satchel into my palms, and pulled me into a hug. Surprised, I returned the gesture. When we separated, she said something to Jack in Italian, which made him smirk slightly. He then tilted his hat to her, offered me his arm, and led me out into the streets of Venice.

* * *

Much to my surprise, dinner was at a rather small place tucked between two larger buildings, both of which held spacious eateries that were full of patrons. The small out-of-the-way restaurant was almost completely overlooked, but I soon learned that it had some of the best food I'd ever eaten.

Jack and I both feasted on local delicacies, like marinated olives and vegetables, spaghetti with seafood, and a plate of Italian ham called prosciutto wrapped around melon slices. The bread was soft and flavored with butter and garlic, and the wine was a sparkling white with just a hint of fruit. It was a feast fit for a king!

By the time dinner was over, I was slightly tipsy and happily full. It had been a perfectly memorable day, and I was more than happy to let Jack lead me back to the Pearl, a sparkling Venetian necklace adorning my throat.

* * *

On their way back to the Pearl, Jack smirked. Alejandro had owed him significantly, as Jack had been the one to help him set up shop here in Venice, and today he'd repaid that debt in full. Evie was happy, which meant Jack was happy, and that, in turn, meant that he wouldn't be causing Anna-Maria any headaches…at least for a while.

The day had gone well. Not only had he given Evie memories to carry with her, but he'd been able to gently, and almost discreetly, caress the softness of her neck, a rare treat indeed. She hadn't suspected a thing, of course, not even when Theresa Vitucci had firmly told him to "not let this darling girl get away." Jack fully agreed with her.

Best of all, Evie would have no idea how expensive her necklace was. Alejandro's work was much sought of in Venice, and for a common girl to wear a length of jewels fit for royalty was something he was going to smile over for a long time.

As he watched Evie return to his cabin, Jack made his way towards his own, humming his favorite tune under his breath. So far, things were going quite well.

* * *

AN: Review?


	17. Venetian Romance

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own anything related to _**Pirates of the Caribbean**_. Well, except a Jack Sparrow poster, but that's pretty much it. Only original creations (characters, places, etc) are mine.

AN: Hi! Sorry about the late update; the Christmas holidays totally took over, so I couldn't update per-usual. But that only means I get to update twice in one week! Yay for my readers! Anyway, have fun reading, and please don't forget to review!

**Chapter 17: Venetian Romance:**

Turning over in his bed, Jack stared at the ceiling and scowled. After a decent night's sleep, and a good deal of going over yesterday's activities, Jack realized that it had been far from the romantic one he'd imagined having with Evie. True, it had been a relatively good day spent in her company, but it hadn't exactly been an intimate, romantic one. He was going to have to fix that by planning something far more suitable.

Many wouldn't believe it, but he, Captain Jack Sparrow, _did_ have a bit of a romantic side –he just never had any use for it. Now he was going to have to draw on every romantic idea he could come up with in order to win Evie over, and _that_ was going to be a challenge. However, he was certainly willing to take it on.

'_Luckily, I try to plan ahead_.' Well, as much as he could, anyway.

Yesterday had been a good start, but Jack knew that there was still more he had to do if he was going to win a woman's heart. It couldn't be done in a single day, or even a couple days –time and patience were what was needed, and unfortunately, Jack had precious little of both right now.

Well, that wasn't true. He _did_ have patience –when it came to plots and dealings, as well as life in general, Jack was a very patient man. If he wanted to come out the winner in any situation, he had to wait and act accordingly, which was what he was trying to do now with Evie.

In this case, however, both time and patience were running thin. Time was against him because, in the back of his mind, Jack was certain that some handsome Italian (or any other kind of European man) was going to snatch up Evie when he wasn't looking. That, he couldn't allow.

As for patience –well, Jack had the feeling that it would be running _very_ thin before long. Part of him wished that capturing Evie's heart would be swift and simple, ensuring that it was he who had won her affections and not some other bloke who just happened along. However, that would be no challenge at all, and anything difficult was usually worth both time and effort. Jack had learned that lesson several times over, and though he did like the occasional "easy win," he always became suspicious whenever too many things came to him too easily.

'_And love is always worth working for_,' he thought with a smile. It was something his father had taught him, and it was a lesson he never forgot.

But now the question was: what was he going to do next? Rushing things was out of the question –he couldn't risk frightening Evie off in being too forward towards her. On the other hand, if he wasn't aggressive enough, he would lose her to the next attentive man to pass by.

'_But cautious __**can**__ be done, if it's done the right way_.' He sighed.

Then he realized what he'd just thought of not a moment before. _Love_? No, it couldn't be…could it? He barely knew the girl –that was why he was trying to slowly romance her and see where things led!

Jack could have slapped himself. Aye, that had been his _intention_, but things were different now. Try as he might, there was no denying that he felt something very keenly for the feisty matchmaker who slept contentedly in the cabin next door to his.

"And what's there not to like?" he pondered aloud. "The girl's got spirit, humor, wit, and thanks to Anna-Maria, she knows how to handle herself in a tight spot."

She was also quite attractive. Her brown hair had developed some very pretty highlights from the warm Caribbean sunshine, and her once pale skin now sported a healthy golden tan that went beautifully with the color of her eyes –a dark brown that had lately lightened a tad and developed a sparkle they had not possessed before.

'_She also has a beautiful neck_,' Jack reminisced, smiling as he recalled the feel of her soft skin under his fingers.

Bringing himself back to the present, he turned back to the task at hand. He had planned another day out with Evie, and though the glassblowing excursion had been fascinating (if hot), this one was going to be enough to try any man's patience.

* * *

"A lace maker?" I asked. I was so surprised I almost dropped the bundle of canvas I was hauling over to Rosa so she could clean it.

This morning, I'd been woken up by my fiery Spanish friend, who declared that just because we were in port didn't mean that there wasn't work to be done. I'd grudgingly gotten up, but soon realized she was right. There was a great deal of laundry to be done, and though most of it had been sent to a local group of laundresses, I still had a stack of dirty personal things that needed a good scrub.

It was almost noon by the time I finished, and now it was time to deal with the spare canvas we used for sails. Most of what hadn't been taken to the laundresses had already been cleaned in one of Rosa's special herbal soap mixtures, and lay drying out in the sun. I don't think the Black Pearl had ever smelled as fresh and clean as it did today.

So there I was, hauling the last batch of canvas over to be cleaned, when Jack surprised me with this proposal. A lace maker's shop seemed a rather odd place for a man to take a woman, particularly since men had no interest whatsoever in the dainty things.

Jack, however, merely beamed at me and nodded. "Aye. Venice is known for more than just glass, luv. Its lace is legendary because it's so fine and delicate, and so expensive that only two types of people can wear it: the rich, and the families of those who make the lace."

Now I was even more confused. "Then why are we going?"

He gave me a very patient look. "Because I want to show you that there's more to Venice than just glass, Evie. Now, are you going to go change into one of your dresses, or would you rather sit here doing laundry?"

Well, when he put it that way…

* * *

Within an hour, we were walking through the streets of Venice, me in my pink gown, and Jack in his usual pirate garments. However, he had cleaned himself up rather well, and since it was a port city with many foreigners passing though, he wasn't the oddest-looking man in the crowd.

I had worried that Rosa would be angry with my leaving her alone to clean, but by then Penny and Selene had arrived from a morning out with their beaus, so they offered to help while Jack took me into town.

We took a much different route than the ones I had previously taken with my friends. Gibbs and Rannoch had insisted that we stay in the wider streets, as they were safer than the narrow alleys that wound through the city, and there was more light in the wider avenues, leaving no place for robbers to hide and jump out of.

Jack, however, insisted on following one of the alleys to our destination. I asked if we could stop for a quick meal, but he refused, saying that this was important and I would get my lunch "in good time." Sighing, I let him lead me through a twisting, winding pathway, my stomach grumbling as we walked.

Finally, we came to a stop before a small shop that stood just off of one of Venice's many bridges. In the windows was an array of beautiful lace samples, indicating what they sold here. There were lace trimmings for dresses, lace handkerchiefs and hairpieces, as well as veils that looked so soft and delicate that they could be drawn through a bride's wedding ring. All of them were unique, and all were exquisitely beautiful.

"Oh, my," I breathed, staring at the finery. "Jack, I'm not sure if we should-"

"Tut, tut, luv," he chided me. "Let's go in. We're expected, after all."

"We are?" I asked as he led me inside.

The shop was small, but cozy. There were two tables with spools of lace in various widths, and a counter stood in the back, where an old woman sat stitching something. The woman glanced up to see who had come in, and her sweet, wrinkled face lit up with surprise and joy.

"Jack!" she cried, tossing aside her work as she flew at him.

"Nicole," he said with a grin as he hugged her. "How have you been? Is the shop doing alright?"

"Oh, Jack, of course it is!" Nicole exclaimed in English. Grinning broadly, she turned towards me. "He's such a dear boy, always worrying about his old aunt like he does." To my surprise, she was an Englishwoman, with only a touch of an Italian accent in her voice.

"Evie, this is Nicole, an old friend of the family," Jack said, introducing us. "Nicole, this is Miss Evianna Watkins. She's one of my crewmembers."

Nicole looked me over, which gave me time to return the favor. She was tiny, round, and rather jolly looking, with wide grey-blue eyes. Tidy wisps of white curls framed her face while the rest of her white-grey hair stood in a tight bun on the top of her head. Her round frame was in a grey dress of plain quality, but there was a lovely trim of white lace along the collar and sleeves, adding a touch of elegance to the garment.

"You're joking with your old auntie, Jack," she reproached him. "She's a fine young woman, too good for a pirate ship, even one as well-known as the Black Pearl!"

I chuckled. "Well, technically, I was hired on as a matchmaker for him and his crewmates. I only officially joined the crew because I wanted to earn my keep, and because I tend to get bored very easily."

Nicole's eyes lit. "Ah, a girl who enjoys working and earning things in her life! Well, she's certainly different from most of the women I know you've associated with, Jack. This one's as good as gold, and you'd be a fool to let her get away!"

My cheeks turned red as I began to panic. "Oh, no, no, we aren't anything like that! We're just friends; that's all. He brought me here because he wanted to show me how Venetian lace is made, and explain why it's so highly sought after."

For a moment, Nicole looked disappointed, but then she became excited again. "Oh, well, if you're here about my lace, that's another thing altogether! Come, let me show you!"

* * *

Jack had nearly felt his heart break when Evie described him as a mere 'friend,' but then, what could he expect? He clearly hadn't done anything to persuade her otherwise, and after that whole incident in France, who could blame her for thinking that he wasn't interested in her? The more fool he!

Well, that was going to change, and Jack was going to do everything in his power to make sure Evie knew how he felt about her. Not right away, of course, but in time, she'd find out. He would not let this girl get away.

For now, he had to bide his time and do things right. If it involved him taking her to places that most (or all) men found dull, but women found fascinating, then so be it.

He bit back a sigh. '_Oh, the things we do for love_!'

* * *

Before Nicole showed me the wonders of her shop, she sat the three of us down for a good hearty luncheon. There were slices of fresh vegetables, as well as a stew that consisted of tomatoes, spices, shrimp, fish, crab, clams and mussels. There was also fresh bread to dip in the broth, and for dessert she served a marvelous lemon custard that was light as air.

When the last bit of food had been scraped from our bowls, Nicole took me firmly by the hand and led me back to where she'd been sitting when Jack and I had first entered the shop. It had been a lace pattern she'd been working on, and even though she'd thrown it haphazardly across the room in her excitement to see Jack, it had still come out alright.

Sitting down in her chair, she motioned for Jack to move two others over to join her. "Watch and learn," she said, giving me the stern look of a teacher to a student.

I watched in amazement as her wrinkled, gnarled old fingers flew across the pattern, weaving the delicate white threads into intricate patterns that were absolutely breathtaking. It was relaxing and hypnotic, watching Nicole work, the lace seeming to form magically under her hands.

This particular batch of lace was a flowing floral arrangement, with leaves, vines, and flowers blossoming throughout the length of material. The threads were far more delicate than anything I had ever worked with, and part of me longed to be able to create something so lovely. Like any decent woman of my class, I knew how to sew, and did it well, but creating works of art like this would set me up forever.

'_If I could take this skill back to the Caribbean, I could make lace for a living_,' I thought with wonder. '_Women from all over would pay a fortune for lace made in the Venetian style, and would come to __**me**__ since they wouldn't have to wait for it to arrive from Europe_!'

But of course, reality set in. It would take years to learn this art, and I did not have that kind of time.

'_Though I suppose I could have Jack bring me back here to Venice, once my task was finished on the Pearl_.' That was a good idea. There were worse places in the world to live in than Venice.

It felt like a few minutes, but it was in fact an hour later when Nicole finished her task. "There," she said, holding it out to me. "What do you think?"

I was afraid to touch it, given the coarseness of my fingers. "Oh, I couldn't. My hands would ruin it." I showed her my palms as evidence. "But it is beautiful."

She nodded. "All women deserve to have something fine to put on their gowns," Nicole told me as she folded and stored the material. "Since you're a good friend of my boy's here, I'll let you choose something from my shop."

As we turned to look at Jack, we saw that he'd fallen asleep in his chair, his legs stretched out before him and his hat over his eyes as he lay back in his chair. Soft snores came from beneath the hat, and I had to giggle.

"Oh, _pfft_!" Nicole said, rolling her eyes. "He's always done that, even when he was a lad! You should have seen how quickly he'd fall asleep whenever I was trying to teach him how to fix his own clothes. As he was bound to be a pirate like his father, I told Jack that he had to learn how to sew up holes and such in his clothes. If he didn't, he'd be as naked as the day he was born within a month!"

I had to swallow a laugh to keep from waking him up. "Oh, I'm sure he's not _that_ bad with his clothing," I said. "I've never seen anything of his fall to pieces, and they all seem in good shape." Well, he _was_ my employer, so I had to defend him.

"Maybe not," she conceded, "But he was unbelievably rough on his clothes as a boy. Poor Lilly! She had a dickens of a time making sure that his pants or shirts didn't fall apart from all their use. Still, I did manage to knock those lessons into his head, and he's turned out right enough."

"Yes," I said, glancing over at Jack. "I suppose he did."

"Well, let him sleep," Nicole said, helping me to my feet. "I'll show you what I've got here, and you can pick whatever suits you."

* * *

Oh, the wonders the shop held! Lace of every width, design, and length was stored here, and it was impossible to find only one that I liked.

"Well, would you like some to trim a gown, a nightdress, or a handkerchief?" Nicole asked me. "Think carefully, dear."

Sadly, I had no dresses to trim, and I didn't wear nightgowns to bed anymore –I primarily wore a nightshirt, as it was lighter and cooler in the warm Caribbean. I didn't even have handkerchiefs to decorate, as all I needed were plain squares of cotton. Besides, anything pretty would have to be kept hidden away, since I wouldn't want to ruin it.

"Here, love," she finally said, pulling out a spool of lace that was two fingers wide. "I think you ought to have this."

I unrolled a bit of it to look at the design, and gasped. It was an ocean theme, with waves, shells, and sea birds decorating it. Best of all, it shimmered in the sun, making it look more like something a mermaid had woven instead of a human.

"Oh, I can't take this," I said, trying to return it. "I don't have anything to trim with it, and even if I did, I wouldn't be able to wear it for a long time. Not until I've completed my job aboard the Pearl."

"You mean you don't have anything _yet_," Nicole said firmly. "I've no doubt that, someday, you'll have a wedding dress or marvelous gown you'll want to trim. And believe me when I say that, when you do, you'll be prepared. Now, take this with you, and some of these as well."

She handed me a small paper package wrapped with twine. "These are some of the best lace handkerchiefs I have in my store. No, don't you dare refuse! I have plenty more, and I know that all of them will be bought by some spoiled noblewoman one day. At least I'll know that someone decent has these. Besides, Jack's fond of you, I can tell, so you most certainly deserve them."

Blushing, I accepted the lace. It was beautiful, and what woman would refuse such a priceless gift? "Thank you," I said, smiling at her. "I'll cherish it always."

Behind the counter, Jack snorted and sat up, pushing back his hat as he woke. "Oy, are you two finished already?" he asked drowsily. "Ah, I see you've managed to find something that suits you, Evie. Wonderful!"

"Aye, no thanks to you, you lazy dog!" Nicole lectured him. "Now, I'm going to show her a bit more lace making, so you can either take another nap, or go for a pint of rum or ale somewhere."

He considered it a moment, then shook his head. "No, I'll stay. Mind if I look around your shop? You've some quality items that'd fetch me a fine price in the Caribbean, if I do say so."

She actually chuckled. "Aye, go ahead and take a gander, Jack. I'll sell it to you at a fair price, with only a small inflation, since it's you. Come on, Evie."

* * *

As he pretended to browse the shelves, Jack watched the two women out of the corner of his eye. He had not been amused by Nicole's embarrassing stories of his youth, but Evie had apparently found them charming, so he let it be.

It meant a great deal to him, knowing that Nicole approved of Evie. In a way, Nicole had been an aunt to him –she had been his mother's best friend, and her confidant until the day she met an Italian sailor and gone off with him. She'd only settled in Venice after his death, and only because it had been the place of his birth. She'd raised three sons at sea with her husband, and each of them had gone off to have adventures as sailors. Fortunately, all her sons were still living, and all sent money back to their beloved mother.

'_Hell, even I send money sometimes_,' Jack thought with a smile. His mum and dad would never forgive him if he didn't. '_If Evie only knew about my sentimental side_. _I wonder what she'd think_?'

Well, she would soon enough. For now, however, he would have to take a riskier step when it came to romancing her. He had something very special in mind for tomorrow, and it would require her wearing one of the more elegant gowns he'd provided.

Smirking, he turned and watched Nicole give Evie a brief lesson in making lace. Oh, yes, tomorrow would be a much more entertaining evening.

* * *

AN: Review?


	18. A Night of Elegance

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own anything related to _**Pirates of the Caribbean**_. Well, except a Jack Sparrow poster, but that's pretty much it. Only original creations (characters, places, etc) are mine.

AN: Here you are; a second update this week, as promised! Thanks so much for reading, and please review!

**Chapter 18: A Night of Elegance:**

It was early evening when we returned to the Pearl, and by then, I was exhausted. While making lace was interesting and fun, it was difficult and exacting. It would be useful to learn, but even though I at least knew the basics of the art, I was far from being proficient in it.

"You still need a great deal more training if you wish to become a proficient," Nicole had told me as we finished up. "And practice wouldn't hurt, either."

Still, I was grateful for the lesson, and told her so. For now, I was a beginner, and Nicole had been kind enough to give me a book on the art so that I could continue my studies. Perhaps, after a great deal of practice, I would be able to make my own lace, but that wouldn't be for a while yet.

After leaving Nicole's shop, Jack led me back to the Pearl, where he ordered Anna-Maria to feed me and put me to bed, saying that I'd had a full day and needed rest. The other girls heard his orders, and proceeded to fuss over me until I told them about my day. After that, they insisted on looking at the book on lace making, and I knew that from now on, we would be spending a great deal of time and money making our own lace.

Supper was a simple fair brought onboard by Gibbs, as Mr. Cotton had decided to take the evening off. Pasta with tomatoes, basil, garlic and shrimp filled my belly, and a glass of wine caused me to seek my bed earlier than usual. While the girls sat together over my – or rather, _our_ – new book, I took the rest of Nicole's gifts back to my cabin.

Once the door was locked behind me, I tucked the spool of lace and the handkerchiefs safely into my clothes chest, sighing over them before I went to bed. That night, my dreams were filled with clouds and oceans that shimmered of white lace.

* * *

Since he refused to leave Venice without experiencing at least _one_ romantic evening with Evie, Jack decided to go "all in" and spend a little extra coin to make things more memorable.

Many wouldn't imagine him to be a wealthy man, but Jack knew the value of saving for a 'rainy day,' and often kept a few caches of money stored in his cabin for certain occasions. Most of these funds were to act as payment for the crew in the event that raids and pillages were scarce, but the rest of it was for his own personal use.

After securing the door to his cabin, Jack fetched the pouches that held his money, and began counting them out. Soon, several stacks of gold, silver and brass stood before him, glittering in the flickering candlelight that cut through the darkness of the evening. He didn't have to worry about interruptions or someone catching him with the money. Most of the crew, including Evie, had long since gone to bed; he'd heard her movements next door cease hours ago.

Sighing, Jack pondered what he could do with his money. None of the crew knew he had it, and for good reason –if they did, he'd come back to a trashed cabin and no funds. As much as he trusted his men, they _were_ pirates, after all, and trust only went so far with a captain who'd already had one mutiny onboard.

Staring at the stacks of coins, he thought long and hard. For the right price, he could send Evie's heart soaring –the problem was finding what, exactly, could do it. Did she like music? Art? Opera?

'_Can't abide opera_,' Jack thought with a shudder. All those screeching females and bellowing men creating what they called 'music' just weren't his taste. Plus, they wore ridiculous costumes and headpieces that no one in their right mind would wear.

"A play, however, might do the trick," he mused, rubbing his chin.

Aye, a play and a sumptuous dinner was just the sort of evening Jack had in mind. It was private, romantic, and involved a great deal of beautiful scenery –though Jack was probably going to be admiring the lady beside him more than the theater's artwork.

He couldn't resist a grin. She was going to look spectacular; he knew that for sure. In his head, Jack imagined Evie wearing one of the finest gowns he'd procured, and her hair being done up beautifully on top of her lovely head. Her cheeks would be flushed with excitement, making her glow. He did so like seeing her glow…

Snapping himself back to reality, Jack reached for a bit of parchment and a quill to scribble down what needed to be done. Once the list was complete, he scooped some of his coins into a small pouch and the rest went back into their hiding places. When he began yawning, he knew it was time for sleep. He would need his strength for tomorrow.

* * *

The next morning, I woke to someone knocking furiously on my door. Though it wasn't early, I had clung to the hope that I would be able to sleep late at least once while we were in port. That hope was shattered, at least this day.

Groaning, I sat up and went to unlock my door. When I swung it open, it revealed a surprising sight –namely Gibbs standing there with a bright smile on his face.

"Good morning, Evie!" he said cheerfully. "Rosa and the other lasses wanted to know if you'd like to join them for breakfast below decks before heading off to do a bit of sightseeing."

Well, why not? "I'd love to join them," I said, returning his smile. "Give me a few minutes to get ready."

In ten minutes, I was down below. Breakfast with my friends was always fun, and today was no exception. Rosa and Penny had fetched pastries from a bakery early this morning, and when they served the marvelous delicacies, everything was still warm and very fresh. The fruit combined with the light, flaky, buttery crust and a thin drizzle of icing over the top had all of us sighing with joy.

"I love Italy," Selene told us dreamily as she licked strawberries off her fingers.

Anna laughed. "Nah, you only like the food," she said, finishing the apple-filled pastry in her hand. "But then, so do I!"

We all laughed at that, and when we had stuffed ourselves silly, we decided to take the leftovers to Rannoch, Marty and Gibbs, who were all sitting together and having a breakfast of their own. Their meal, however, consisted of bread, cheese, and a slab of cold roasted meat split between them. It wasn't fancy, but it was good, filling food, and something that all the crewmen enjoyed.

"Ladies!" Gibbs greeted us, smiling as he set aside the knife he was using to eat. "What have you got there?"

"Leftover pastries," Rosa said, giving him a fond smile. "You three are welcome to have them."

Penny went over and pressed a kiss to Marty's bald head. "Joining us today in town?" she asked.

Rannoch shook his head as he swept Selene off her feet and plopped her in his lap, causing her to giggle. "Not today, ladies," he said with a regretful smile. "Captain's said we've had enough fun, so now it's time to do some work aboard the ship. Will you be alright on your own?"

Rosa nodded. "We'll be fine. Right girls?" We nodded. "There, you see? And don't worry; we're prepared to defend ourselves."

The men looked skeptical, but said nothing, which was smart. I truly did not want to witness a fight between Gibbs and Rosa, or between any of the men and their ladies, so I was happy to see that the men said nothing against us women going out on our own. Besides, we'd have Anna-Maria with us, and we'd each take a hidden dagger or two, so we were probably safe enough.

"Ah, Evie, there you are!" exclaimed a familiar voice behind me. Turning, I saw Jack swaying towards me, a smile on his face. "I see you're getting ready to head out?"

I nodded, and wondered why he looked so happy. "Yes, we're going to dress in a minute, then leave. Is there something you wanted from the market? Or anything you need?"

Jack shook his head. "No, thanks, luv, but I wanted to speak to you privately for a moment. Come with me."

Puzzled, I followed him to his cabin, where I promptly shut the door behind me. Once we were alone, Jack turned to face me as he leaned against the big table.

"Evie, I wanted you to know that I wanted you back early this afternoon," he said, all seriousness. "My reason is that I expect you to be dressed for an evening out in Venice, and I know how long it takes women to prepare."

I stared at him. "An evening out in Venice?" I echoed, unsure if I was hearing him correctly.

"Aye," he confirmed. "You'll need to wear one of the more elegant dresses I provided for you, since we'll be going somewhere more…refined. You might want to do your hair up with your combs and wear that pretty necklace of yours, too." He had suggested that last part, gesturing to my head and neck with the fingers of both hands.

By now, I was starting to get worried. "Jack, what are you-?"

"No, no questions!" he exclaimed, waving my words aside. "Just do what I ask, will you, darling? Trust me; you will _not_ be disappointed with what I have planned."

At this point, I knew there was no arguing with him. "Alright, Jack, you win," I said with a sigh. "I'll come back early and dress nicely for tonight."

He grinned at me. "My thanks, luv. Now, go have fun, and I'll see you this evening. Ta."

I was at the cabin door when I heard him call my name, right before he said, "Catch!"

Turning, I barely managed to get hold of the small pouch he'd thrown at me. It jingled a little, the sound of coins clanking together telling me what was inside it.

"Try not to spend it all in one place," he said, gently shooing me out the door with a wave of his hand.

My mind still whirling, I went to join my friends, thinking about what an odd day it had already been, and how strange it was going to be later.

* * *

When I told the other girls about what Jack had said about this evening, they had all stared at me in shock before Penny and Selene suddenly started squealing in excitement.

"He's trying to woo you!" Selene cried, grinning broadly as she hugged me.

"_What_?" I blurted out in shock. "No! No, he isn't. He's just trying to show me Venice, that's all."

"_Pfft_!" Rosa said, waving her imperiously hand at me, like a queen dismissing a servant's words. "Of _course_ he is, Evie! You ought to know, being a matchmaker. I'm sure you've seen fellows trying to win the hearts of the young women they were courting."

I blushed. "Well, yes, but watching something from afar is quite a different matter than when it's actually happening to you." I looked down at floor. "And I've never been courted, so how would I know?"

Glancing up, I saw them staring at me. "You've never been courted?" Penny quietly asked. I shook my head. "But you're a wonderful person! How could you not have at least one suitor?"

"Well, it's a fairly long story, but I'll give you the short version," I said, my cheeks still flaming. I quickly told them of my past, and found sympathy in Penny and Selene. Rosa and Anna, however, seemed offended that no one had shown the least bit of romantic interest in me, their good friend.

"The men of your town must have been blind and stupid," Rosa declared hotly, tossing her hair imperiously over her shoulder. "I do not know what they were thinking!"

Anna crossed her arms. "Well, we'll change that now. Let's head into town. If the Captain wants her looking her best, we'll find something that'll make her shine like the sun!"

Now I began to panic. "This is a mistake," I hastily told them. "I'm telling you that Jack isn't interested in me that way! I mean, he's Captain Jack Sparrow! He couldn't possibly want _me_."

"Of course he does!" Penny cried. "Now, since you've already got dresses to choose from, and those silver combs, what else does she need?"

"Perfume," Rosa put in. "She must smell as wonderful and enchanting as she looks. We ought to go into town and find a scent that suits her."

As we put on our day gowns, I immediately had a very bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. What had I gotten myself into?

* * *

Rosa was a god-send when it came to choosing perfume. We managed to find a small local shop with a merry old man minding the counter, and when he saw us, a group of potential customers, he encouraged us to look around.

For well over an hour, we did exactly that. I liked several scents that were heady and rich with musk, woods, and floral scents. A few had wonderful accents of fruit, and that only made choosing a perfume harder to do.

Finally, it was Rosa who came up with the scent that we all felt was 'mine.' It was a small vial that smelled of roses and a touch of fruit and musk, something that was lovely and elegant. It was almost something a noblewoman would wear, though we purchased it for a fraction of the cost.

"Everyone comes to buy my wares, whether they are rich or not," the shop owner said in heavily accented, but decent English. "And your Spanish friend there bargains like my own mother used to, so you've no need to fear being cheated, either!"

Giggling over my good fortune, my friends took me back to the Pearl, ready to begin preparing me for the evening. Imagine our surprise when we set foot on deck and were immediately greeted by Jack, who turned us towards his cabin.

"I want Evie to have plenty of room to dress," he said. "I hope you'll be ready in two hours? I'll be down below, getting ready myself."

"Two and a half," Rosa declared as she ushered me into the cabin. "See you then, Captain."

I barely heard her close and lock the door, because on the large table in the center of the room was a lovely gown of deep blue satin with a light silver sheen to it. The underskirt was black silk shot with silver, and along the bodice were elegant designs in the same colors, with silver lace trimming the neckline and sleeves. I couldn't help but think that wearing this dress would be like wearing the night sky.

Once I was dressed, Selene spent nearly half an hour combing my hair out and putting it in different styles to see which one looked best. The other girls added their opinions, and in the end, Rosa put my hair up on the top of my head, my combs tucked neatly into it to keep any locks from straying. A light touch of kohl around my eyes brought out their color and accented their shape, while a touch of red on my lips gave them a nice contrast against the light dusting of pale powder that Penny applied. Where they had obtained these accessories, I had no idea, but I suspected that they had either brought them aboard or purchased them somewhere during our travels.

Finally, I sent Anna-Maria to my cabin for the black velvet pouch that held my necklace. When I produced the stunning piece of jewelry from its dark confines, the other girls gasped.

"Oh, it's beautiful!" Selene cried. "Where did you get it?"

I flushed. "Jack took me to a Venetian glassblower's shop," I explained as Anna fastened the delicate chain around my neck. "I was able to take this as a keepsake, to remember my time there."

The other girls smirked. "I knew it!" Rosa said triumphantly. "If that isn't a sign of Jack's intentions towards you, I don't know what is!"

Before I could reply, a knock sounded on the door, and Selene rushed to answer it. "Captain Sparrow," she said, greeting him respectfully. "She's ready."

"I certainly hope so," I heard him mutter. "Can I come in, or should I wait for her to come out here?"

Selene gestured for me to come to the door. Anna, Rosa and Penny all grinned broadly as I made my way past them and to the door.

* * *

Jack almost swallowed his tongue when he saw her. He knew that the gown he'd purchased in town would suit her, but never had he thought that she'd look like a goddess of the evening sky! The silver in her gown glittered like stars, and the twinkling combs in her hair were like crescent moons. Around her neck, the silver-and-gold necklace was like a swirling constellation, drawing his eyes towards the gracefulness of her neck. She was exquisite.

When he realized he'd been staring, Jack cleared his throat and offered his arm. "Milady?"

Smiling, she took it, her hand soft and delicate on the brown velvet of his coat. Jack scented a whiff of perfume in the air, and felt his heart jump into his throat. Lord above, he was doomed.

* * *

He wasn't the only one staring. I could not understand where he had procured the dark brown velvet coat, brown leggings, boots, and a _new_ brown tricorn hat, but he looked so handsome I didn't care. Most significantly, he'd bathed thoroughly, and applied fresh kohl to his eyes. Before, he'd been dashingly handsome –now he was enough to wring any female's heart.

Blushing, I let him lead me into town. We didn't travel far, for Jack had somehow managed to hire a gondola as our evening's transportation. My cheeks heated significantly as I seated myself on the red velvet cushions, with Jack seated a mere inch to my right, so close that I could feel the heat from his body. Oh, Lord, how was I going to survive the night?

Down the canals we traveled, the large lantern at the stern lighting our way while others hung about the outside, so that others could see us. Much to my delight, the lamps did not diminish the astounding views around me –I could clearly see the lit up palaces of the wealthy, most of them full of light, music, people, and laughter, no doubt the scenes of great parties and events.

We eventually stopped near a tremendous theater, and I was surprised when Jack stood up and exited the gondola. I didn't hesitate when he offered me his hand to help me on shore, though I nearly panicked when he began leading me towards the entrance to the theater.

"Jack, what are you doing?" I whispered. "We can't go in there!"

He gave me a smirk. "Of course we can! We look just like any mucky-muck with deep pockets, and besides," he said with a grin, "I paid for a marvelous evening, so we had better go in, or else I'd have wasted all that money for nothing!"

It was hard to argue with his logic. Holding back a nervous sigh, I let him lead me inside the building.

* * *

AN: Evil cliffhanger, I know, but it keeps things interesting. Review?


	19. A Venetian Masquerade

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I own nothing related to _**Pirates of the Caribbean**_. That belongs to Jerry Bruckheimer, Disney, and a bunch of other people. Only original characters and plotlines are mine.

AN: Well, here we are: a brand new year! And to celebrate, I've made this a longer chapter! Yay! Please enjoy, and don't forget to review! Thanks!

**Chapter 19: A Venetian Masquerade:**

It was a magical evening, to say the least: dinner served in our private box seats; a performance done in Italian (but still relatively understandable, even to me); and all of it taking place beneath the marvelous artwork decorating the immense walls and dome of the theater.

From the moment we entered, I had been in awe of my surroundings. The walls and ceilings were all done in fantastic frescos and murals, taking my breath away instantly. All around us were men and women dressed in their finest –men in their best coats and hats, and women in gowns made of silk, velvet, or satin. Several of the men had gold-topped canes, and the women wore jewelry that glittered in the brightness of candlelight.

It took me a moment, but I began to realize that there were a few patrons who were dressed almost as nondescriptly as Jack was. My handsome escort was in all brown, but his clothes were of good quality and material, so he appeared to belong there. I suppose some men could dress to be 'invisible,' particularly if he's a pirate.

Following Jack's lead, I had soon found myself in one of the expensive box seats, with red velvet cushions on the beautiful wooden chairs, and matching wood tables set about. We had a perfect view of the stage, and I couldn't help but glance over at boxes across the way to spy on the other patrons. Then the lights dimmed, and the performance began.

The play had been _Romeo and Juliet_, done in Italian, but as I knew the story already, I was able to follow it in a general sort of way. I would very much have liked to _understand_ everything that was being said, but you can't have everything in life, so I merely sat and let myself enjoy it.

When it was time for intermission, a small army of servers came into the box, armed with flute glasses of champagne, and small platters of quaint finger foods that all tasted sublime and were quite filling. As we ate, Jack and I chatted about the first half of the play, and had a good chuckle over how ridiculously dressed some of the patrons were.

"It's hard to believe a man will happily wear a wig that big," Jack muttered, nodding towards one particular fellow as the lights began to dim again. "I never had the need or want to wear such a thing!"

I giggled. "Your hair is quite extraordinary enough without one," I teased, sipping the last bit of champagne.

He grinned at my comment. "Aye, but you can't see it, now, can you?"

That was true enough. He'd tucked some of it up under his hat, and the rest was tied in a tail at the nape of his neck, giving him the appearance of an eccentric merchant or traveler, and nothing more.

By the time the play ended, I was exhausted and more than a little tipsy from the champagne. Ever the gentleman (or as much as he could be), Jack escorted me back to the Pearl, wished me a pleasant sleep, and headed off to his cabin, leaving me to my own devices.

* * *

As I opened my own cabin door, I was about to panic about how to get out of my dress when, to my delight, I saw Anna there waiting for me. She didn't say a word, just helped me out of my gown, pulled the combs from my hair, and brushed the locks out so that they wouldn't tangle. In a waiting basin full of warm water, I quickly washed the powder and makeup off my face, and was more than ready to throw myself into bed.

"How was your night, Evie?" Anna asked as she gently laid my gown out over a chair to keep it from wrinkling. "I hope the Captain treated you like you deserve?"

Yawning, I crawled into bed and let my head fall back onto the pillow. "He was fine," I assured her. "He treated me very well, and I had a wonderful time." I looked over at the dress. "And thank you for helping me undress –you must have been up forever waiting for me."

She waved that aside. "Don't be silly. It was either me or one of the others, and since I knew that you wouldn't want to be bothered by endless chattering, I decided I'd be the best choice."

I grinned, still a bit tipsy. "Well, don't worry. As soon as I find you a match and _you_ start going out for dinners and such, I'll return the favor. I promise," I said, my eyes starting to close.

As I drifted off to sleep, I thought I heard her curse slightly under her breath, but then the world went dark and I couldn't be sure.

* * *

"_Find me a match_?" Anna growled as she headed back to her cabin. "Where in the world did the girl get the idea that I want to be matched with a man?"

By the time she got back to her cabin, she'd figured it out. Evie had seen how protective Anna had been over the past few days, meaning that she'd seen Anna looking around at the men around them and mistaken it for something else.

"This is all Sparrow's fault," she muttered, clenching her fists. "If he didn't have me playing overprotective nursemaid to Evie, I wouldn't be in this mess!"

It'd be even better if the idiot just admitted to Evie how he felt about her, rather than beat around the bush with all this wooing nonsense.

Well, that tears it. She'd have to have a very long talk with her Captain in the morning and clear all this up.

* * *

Rolling over in his bed, Jack sighed. Bright sunshine beamed in through his large windows, illuminating the tiny dust motes floating in the air. In a quick decision, he pulled himself out of bed and went to open one of the large bay windows, letting in a fresh breeze and helping the dust to escape out into the clear morning. The water was a lovely blue this day, and he could hear the gulls cry as they circled above the docks. The Pearl swayed gently on the waves, making him want to fall asleep again.

Memories of the night before made him smile. Evie had been everything he'd hoped she'd be: beautiful, sweet, fun, and elegant. Funny how he'd met women with all those qualities before, but none of them had ever appealed to him.

'_Perhaps it's because most of them were brainless little things_,' part of him whispered.

Ah, yes, that was the one trait that most of them lacked: intelligence. Not that he wanted a bloody genius or anything, but rather a woman with more between the ears than an admiration of all things pretty and shiny. Some managed to talk a little about music, art and theater, but none had gotten further than two minutes on the topics before they went silent.

Evie was different. She was clever, had a witty sense of humor, and best of all, she had an appreciation for glassmakers, books, the theater, and hard work. She was also quite attractive.

Jack felt a surge of pride. The gown had been glorious, the jewelry glittering, and the makeup well-done, but all of it failed to compare with the beauty that shone through it all. True, Evie wasn't a dazzling beauty, but she had a certain something that made her truly beautiful, at least in his eyes.

He grinned. '_I'm a very lucky man indeed_.'

A harsh knock on his cabin door, followed by a familiar, and very angry, female voice completely destroyed his good mood. Groaning, Jack went and opened the door to keep it from being kicked in by his angry second mate.

"Sparrow," she growled, "We need to talk. Now!"

Holding back a sigh, he let her in and shut the door. "What is it now, Anna-Maria?" he asked, frustrated that his joyful morning had turned sour so quickly.

"Jack, do you realize that, because of your foolish order for me to guard Evie, she now thinks that I'm in need of a match?" she demanded. "And don't you dare start laughing! She saw how I'd been keeping an eye on the men around her, and now she thinks that I'm in the market for a husband! Do you have any idea how infuriating that is, especially when I've no desire to have a man?"

To give himself credit, Jack did try hard to keep his amusement in check. Still, a small smile made its way out, though he did manage to swallow his laughter. '_Well, I can certainly see where this is going, so I'd better put a stop to it before Anna's complaints turn into a tirade_.'

"Alright, Anna, you win," he said. "If it's making things too difficult for you, you can stop being Evie's secret chaperone."

Her eyes narrowed to slits. "Don't you give me that, Sparrow. You know I won't change my mind about keeping her from harm, but any potential suitors will have to be _your_ problem." She then turned and left, slamming the door behind her.

Jack sighed. "Well, that went better than I expected. At least she didn't slap me."

Glancing back over his shoulder, he smiled at the paper box that sat on the table.

* * *

"Jack, where are we going?" I hissed as he pressed me into a gondola, different from the one last night.

He _tsked_ at me. "If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise, now, would it? Trust me, Evie, you'll have a grand time."

It wasn't that I didn't trust him; I just wanted to know what he had planned. Unfortunately, he was being very secretive about it. He had merely interrupted my afternoon knife lesson with Anna-Maria and told me that I had to get ready for this evening. There was apparently a gown waiting for me in his cabin, and I was to be ready by six o'clock. That was all.

When I went to his cabin to see the gown he had chosen, I had been confused for a moment. It was the red-and-black gown I had so admired, and lying atop it was a fairly good-sized paper box. The contents of the box surprised me beyond measure.

First, there was a marvelous face mask of some sort of red metallic material, trimmed around the outside and the eyes with black braid. A trio of black feathers as long as my hand were fasted to the top of the mask by a cluster of faux red and black jewels, and two long red satin ribbons were attached so that it could be secured to the wearer's face.

Next, there was a necklace of black and red glass beads, black onyx stones the size of my littlest fingernail, and tiny red crystals. It went perfectly with the gown. There were also a dozen small red and black rose hair decorations made of lace, silk, and satin, and black velvet shoes with red bows on them.

Anna-Maria, being the good friend that she was, offered to help me get ready. When she saw the contents of the box, she had grinned, but when I asked her what it was all for, she flatly refused to tell me, claiming that she didn't want to spoil it.

So now here I was, my gown carefully arranged around me, my hair artfully tied up and arranged carefully, and my mask firmly in place. Beside me, Jack was dressed as a glorified pirate captain, meaning he wore a fine white cotton shirt, a black coat with silver braid, black breeches, a black bandana, and a black hat with a large black feather attached to it with a large metal clip. Over his face was a black and silver mask that accented his eyes perfectly.

"Jack, for heaven's sake, _please_ tell me where we're going?" I hissed to him.

He simply winked at me and said, "Patience, luv."

It wasn't long before we pulled up to a small dock near what appeared to be an opera house, with many costumed and masked people going inside. Even at this distance, I could hear music coming through open doors and windows, as well as talk and laughter.

The gondola came to a stop, and Jack immediately leaped out so that he could offer one of his heavily ringed hands to me. "My lady?" he said with a small bow.

Behind my mask, my cheeks flamed. "Thank you," I whispered, stepping carefully onto the dock.

"My pleasure," he said with a smirk. "Now, shall we?"

I took his offered arm and tried not to faint as we made our way inside, following the crowd.

* * *

The theater last night had been impressive; the opera house was absolutely astounding.

Tall candelabras gilded in gold stood everywhere, lit with wax candles that released light scents into the air. On a wide dais, an orchestra played, and in the grand entryway, many couples danced elegantly, their steps in perfect sync with each other and the music. Costumes of a hundred different varieties filled my vision, and for a moment, I felt dazed.

"Alright there, Evie?" Jack whispered, reaching out to steady me. "You're not feeling ill, are you?"

I smiled at him. "No, just overwhelmed. Jack, what is all this?"

"A Venetian masquerade," he said. "The rich are famous for them. There's music, dancing and such, like a ball, but I think the masks and outfits add a bit of mystery and magic, don't you?"

I had to admit, I did. It was like being in another world, a faery realm where the air cast a spell on your senses and everything was magical and beautiful.

"Come on, luv," Jack whispered into my ear. "Let's dance."

That's when I began to panic. "Jack, I can't dance," I blushingly admitted.

He chuckled. "No worries, darling. I'll take care of you. Now, follow my lead, and be ready to have fun, savvy?" He then took one of my hands in his, put the other around my waist, and pulled me closer to him. "Put your left hand on my shoulder. There we are. Now, follow my steps."

At once, my skin began to alternate between hot and cold as he began to lead us in a dance. Slowly, I began to learn the steps. Jack was a fairly good teacher, and as it wasn't a complicated dance, I was soon able to move about the floor with little trouble…well, for the most part.

As the dance changed, I found it growing harder and harder to concentrate on what I was doing. Jack's fingers were warm on my own, and the heat of his palm on my back made me feel both secure and rather distracted. It didn't help that, as the dancing progressed, he was holding me closer and closer, until our bodies were almost touching.

Taking a deep breath, I tried to focus, but as Jack inched closer, all thoughts flew out of my head. I swallowed and closed my eyes in an attempt to gather my nerves. That was when I felt a warm breath on the nape of my neck, just below my right ear.

Gasping, my eyes flew open, and I immediately grew tense. '_Oh, my_!'

"Shh," he breathed into my ear. "Relax, darling. I've got you."

Shivers went up and down by body as his warm hand pressed even firmer on my back. Jack may have been trying to sooth me, but his touch did the exact opposite of that! Even worse, his thumb was caressing the back of my hand, and I was having a rather hard time swallowing.

The music came to a slow stop, and Jack released me long enough to applaud the musicians. It gave me enough time to catch my breath and gather my thoughts. My luck held when a server passed by with a tray of delicate glasses holding bubbling champagne, one of which I immediately snatched to steady my nerves.

"Easy on the drinks, Evie," Jack teased, reaching to keep me from downing the entire glass. "It's going to be a long evening, and you ought to keep your wits about you. Are you hungry? There's a refreshment table nearby, I'm sure."

I doubted that food would be the cure I needed, but it might help, at least a little.

There was an impressive array of food being served, so I had a difficult time choosing. Jack saved me by selecting a small number of things for me to try, and even though I cleared the plate, I couldn't for the life of me remember what I'd just eaten.

After I finished a second glass of champagne, Jack made sure to keep the drink servers away as he led me back to join the dancing. As another slow-paced tune began, Jack gently pulled me towards him, again pulling me so close that his cheek nearly pressed against mine.

"Are you enjoying yourself, Evie?" he asked, his breath warm on my ear as he spoke.

I flushed. "Yes," I shakily replied, almost trembling.

"Good," he murmured, sending another shiver down my spine.

Glancing over his shoulder, I noticed several women looking in our direction. Or rather, they were looking at _Jack_, who seemed oblivious. It still made me uneasy, however –after all, I knew Jack's reputation with women. Would he leave me alone in this mad mass to pursue another woman?

'_Of course he will_,' whispered a small part of my mind. '_And what are you doing here, having fun with the man who employed you to find him a wife_? _Should you not be working at making him a match_?'

"Evie?" he softly called into my ear, catching my attention. "Are you alright?"

Looking up into his eyes, I saw those deep brown eyes of his darken with worry. Touched by his concern, I had to smile. "I'm alright, really," I managed to lie. "It's just so overwhelming! I've never been to a masquerade before."

To my relief, Jack seemed to believe my falsehood. He nodded his understanding and led me through the rest of the dance, then into several others. When I began to lose my breath once more, Jack took notice and led me towards the edge of the dance floor. As the music drew to a close, he escorted me to a place to stand and catch my breath. There I was able to rest while Jack signaled a server with a tray of filled glasses to come over. He quickly asked something of the servant, and after he received a reply, Jack took a glass and pressed it into my palm.

"Drink this," he said. "It's lemonade."

As I slowly sipped the chilled liquid, I discreetly looked around the room, taking note of the women around me. Some of them were still studying Jack, who, much to my surprise, still seemed oblivious.

"Perhaps we should go?" I asked, trying to ignore the onlookers. I truly didn't want to leave, but I didn't know how much longer I could stand those women eyeing the man beside me.

"Do you want to?" he asked. "There are dancers here who are going to perform for the crowd. It would be a shame to miss them. If you're feeling tired, you may lean against me, since there doesn't seem to be a free chair in the entire room."

Before I could reply, Jack slipped an arm around my waist and pulled me close, so that my right side rested against his left. I looked up at him in shock. It was entirely inappropriate for us to be this close, but then, we'd danced fairly closely earlier.

"There, is that better?" he asked, grinning at my surprise. "You know, I didn't mention it before, but you do have a very fine form, Evie." His gold and silver teeth glinted in the candlelight. "And you have the loveliest blush I've ever seen."

"Oh, you're impossible!" I said, laughing, my cheeks flaming as I playfully smacked his chest. "But I would like to see the dancers." '_If only to keep my mind off the women staring at you_,' I privately thought.

Then the dancers appeared, and the floor immediately cleared for them. After that, everyone (including myself) was too preoccupied to notice much else.

The masks and costumes were of the same theme of black and white, but in different cuts and designs. The men all wore leggings and coats, while some women wore long skirts, and others wore short, but all were quite talented in their art. Their steps were perfectly timed, and their gracefulness seemed effortless. The men were strong, as they were able to lift and carry their partners, drawing numerous periods of applause from the crowd.

Once in a while, I felt Jack's hand on my hip, his fingers occasionally tightening, as though he were trying to assure himself that I was alright. Once, I looked up to find him looking off to our left, a scowl on his face. When I turned to follow his gaze, I noticed a tall man in green looking away, as though he'd been caught at something. I didn't understand what had occurred, so I turned my gaze away towards the other women in the crowd. Thankfully, they were all watching the dancers or talking to the men next to them, which put my worries to rest.

Looking back at Jack, I noticed that he was rather tense, and there was a scowl on his face as he looked at the floor. The thumb of the hand he had placed on my hip was rubbing around in circles, which concerned me. When he noticed me looking at him, Jack let the frown fall from his face and his hand stopped mid-rub, much to my disappointment.

Leaning over, he whispered, "Alright there, luv?" he asked.

I nodded and turned back to watch the performance. From then on, we both kept our eyes on the dancers. Once they finished, we applauded with the rest of the party's attendants. When the last performer vanished back to whence they came, Jack took my hand and tucked it under his elbow.

"Come, Evie," he said, a fragile smile on his face. "It's time to head back. It'll be past midnight, you know, and you'll need your rest for when we leave port."

I stared at him as we made our way back to the gondola, which had miraculously waited for us. "We're leaving?" I asked while taking my seat. "When? And where are we going?"

He looked thoughtful. "I'm not sure where, yet, but probably the day after tomorrow. We'll load up on supplies, then head out. Lord knows we can't stay in Venice forever! But when I pick a destination, I'll let you know."

I didn't press further. Rather, I remained quiet until we returned to the Pearl, and headed back to my cabin to be undressed by Anna-Maria, who seemed to sense that I didn't want to say much. I quickly changed clothes, washed up, and brushed my hair before tucking into bed, still puzzled over what had happened tonight with Jack.

* * *

AN: Okay, I admit it: I "borrowed" a little from the _Phantom of the Opera_ and put in a synchronized dance scene in here. Still, can you blame me? Seriously, I can't imagine a masquerade without some sort of performance, so there it is. And I know there was no kissing between Jack and Evie, but that'll be coming up in a later chapter. In the meantime, thanks for reading, and please don't forget to review!


	20. Conflicts

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own anything related to _**Pirates of the Caribbean**_. Well, except a Jack Sparrow poster, but that's pretty much it. Only original creations (characters, places, etc) are mine.

AN: A bit of romance in this chapter, and some angst, just to make things more interesting for everyone. Thanks so much for reading, and please don't forget to review!

**Chapter 20: Conflicts:**

Pacing his cabin, Jack tried to keep his emotions in check. He'd been in a wonderful mood earlier, but now he was ready to shoot something.

The evening had started out so well. Evie had been in his arms, dancing so close to him that he could feel the warmth of her body through her enticing gown. He had been able to put his arms around her waist, and put hands on her, and had scented the enticing perfume that she'd not only worn tonight, but the night before.

Everything had been perfect. Oh, he'd noticed the other women at the masquerade eying him, but why would he want one of them when he had a perfectly fetching one already? What more could he possibly ask for?

Of course, that was when things began to go wrong.

After taking Evie off of the floor and seeing to her rather shocked senses, the dance performance had begun, drawing almost everyone's attention…almost. The dancers were exquisite, but Jack hadn't been paying attention to them –he'd been watching the young fellow who had turned his attention towards Evie. Actually, Jack wouldn't be surprised if there had been more blokes paying attention to the ravishing young woman, and that just made his blood boil.

He'd gotten them out of there quickly when the dancers were finished, but now he had another problem: Jack had told her that they would be leaving port within the next day or two, and he had no idea where they were going.

'_Spain_?' he wondered, pacing his cabin. '_Or Persia, perhaps_?'

No, the desert was the worst place for a sailor. The Caribbean heat he could handle, but Jack couldn't abide someplace hot and _dry_, which always made him feel oppressed, a sensation he detested. So where did that leave him?

Perhaps one of the island nations off of Italy, or one of its territories? Malta was good, as were several others. Some of them were even tolerant of pirates, which would be a welcome change.

'_No, I want someplace that will impress her_,' Jack scowled. '_Someplace with fantastic structures, art, and history…someplace like…_'

Greece! Of course! Why hadn't he thought of that? It had been home to one of the most ancient civilizations in the world, and there were dozens of little coastal towns, islands and beaches to visit.

'_And from what I've heard, their food is pretty decent, too_.'

That was it, then. In a few days, they would be in Greece, and Jack wouldn't have to worry about any suave Italians stealing Evie away from him.

Instead, he only had to worry about handsome Greek men. Oh, bother.

* * *

Two days after the masquerade, the Black Pearl set sail for…well, I had no idea where, but it was sure to be an adventure.

Sadly, I'd been unable to give Venice one last exploration, because when a ship is due to set sail, a great deal of work has to be done. The girls and I spent much of our time checking and rechecking the supplies, making sure that we had enough food, medicine, and other necessities, in case Jack had secretly planned a long voyage.

Although I was sad to leave the beautiful, elegant city, I was excited at the prospect of seeing something new. I had seen most of what Venice was infamous for, and was now ready for some new experiences, as well as new cultures.

Glancing out at the shimmering water, I inhaled the fresh air and savored the warmth of the Mediterranean sunshine on my skin. It was good to be at sea again.

"Evie, come join us for lunch!" Selene cried, interrupting my reverie. "Come _on_!"

Smiling, I followed her to the stern of the ship, where the others were gathered. Individual plates of food were waiting, and the others had set up on barrel ends or overturned buckets, which served as tables and chairs for us. To my relief, we were as far away from other members of the crew as possible, giving us a sense of privacy.

Today's meal was fish and cooked potatoes –light fare, but delicious, thanks to Rosa's cooking. The air was filled with chatter, the sound of waves crashing against the hull, and of gulls on the wind. It was wonderful.

I was scraping the last of the fish into my mouth when Penny poked me in the side. "So, Evie, how goes it between you and Jack? Well, I hope?"

The delicate fish suddenly turned to dust in my mouth. I managed to swallow it, and gulped down a cupful of water, avoiding any kind of eye contact. "There's nothing between me and Jack," I softly said, for my friends' ears only. "Nothing at all."

The others looked confused. "Nothing?" Rosa said doubtfully. "But after all of the outings you've gone on together, something must be happening. Surely he's kissed you, at least!"

"No, nothing," I said more forcefully, taking my plate and cup as I stood up, all the while appearing calm and collected. "We are merely friends. He has simply taken me to events or places that are educational and public. There is nothing romantic going on between the two of us. Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to get back to work."

I could feel their eyes on me as I left, but I didn't go back to work, because there was nothing for me to do. Instead, I went to my cabin to finish my meal and have a good, long think.

Half hour later, after setting aside my empty plate and cup, I found myself staring out the window of my cabin, lost in thought. My friends' questions rang through my head, and brought up others I hadn't been able to bear the thought of until now.

'_Why has Jack been doing all of this_?' I wondered, staring at the blue ocean. '_Was he trying to be kind by showing me all the wonders of Venice_? _And if he was merely trying to be kind, why hadn't he invited any of the others along with us_?'

Had he been trying to court me? No, that made no sense. I wasn't an exotic beauty like Rosa, or fiery like Anna-Maria, or sweet and gentle like Selene or Penny. I had little money, and only one skill, which was matchmaking, a talent that was hardly worth anything to a pirate. So what did that leave?

'_Not much_,' I sadly reflected. '_Men always want a wife with money, skills, beauty, or sweetness, though they'd rather have at least two or three of those qualities in a bride. When you've got none of them, all that's left for you is spinsterhood or a convent_.'

Neither one of those appealed to me, which was why I was counting on the gold that Jack and his crew were going to pile on me as soon as my task was done. Privately, I hoped it would be sooner rather than later; most of the men had no inkling of wanting wives just yet (or perhaps they didn't want one before their Captain wedded), so all that was left was for me to find Jack the bride he wanted.

That thought brought me back to the previous ones: what was Jack up to, and why?

I thought carefully. Obviously, Jack didn't think of me _in that way_ –it was silly to think he did. Romance and such weren't part of his nature, which was why I'd been hired to find him a wife. He had to be doing it to be kind, possibly to thank me for finding three good women for some of his men? Considering one of those men was Mr. Gibbs, who had long considered himself a bachelor, it was quite a feat.

'_Or is there something else behind it_?' whispered part of my mind.

Oh, I did _not_ want to think about what that might be, but ideas flooded my head anyway. Was he merely trying to 'keep company' with me, as my mother would say?

When I was a child, Mama had often commented on the wenches in town, and pitied them for their choice of trade. Men often acted romantically towards them, and made them promises that sounded genuine, but which always turned out to be false.

"In the end," Mother had said, "The poor souls learn to distrust everyone and to think that there's no one in the world who cares for them, or is trustworthy. If they give their hearts out far too often, and have them broken into too many pieces too many times, one day, they will have no heart, for there will be nothing left."

Her lesson had been clear: never give your heart away to a man who obviously had no cares for anyone but himself.

I chewed my lower lip and carefully went over everything I knew. Jack was a pirate, one with a tremendous reputation with women. He was a heartbreaker, and had at least one or a dozen women in every port. Now that he was attempting to settle down, he was either attempting to have one last "hurrah" before marriage, or trying to get used to the idea of focusing all of his attentions on one particular woman. Unfortunately, the only 'unclaimed woman' onboard was me. That explained all of the outings, and the rather intimate ways he'd been holding me at the masquerade –he'd been trying to seduce me into bed, or was merely toying with me.

With that one thought, I felt my heart collapse in on itself. Jack was using me as a 'test subject' until I found him a bride. That was the only explanation I could think of.

'_But what if he __**is**__ in love with you_?' asked a hopeful part of my heart.

Well, if he was, why hadn't shown any sign of outward affection, other than holding me at the masquerade? Most men tried to hold their sweetheart's hand, or attempted to sneak a kiss, even on their first outing together. Jack, a man infamous for his attentions towards women, had tried none of these.

'_Although…he __**did**__ hold me very close during the masquerade_. _I could his breath on my neck and everything_.'

The memory made me blush and smile, but then it died. Jack hadn't tried to kiss me as a suitor would, because he wasn't courting me. Instead, he'd acted rather enticingly, which meant he was trying to lure me into his bed. That was all.

A knock on the door snapped me from my thoughts. "Who is it?" I called, hoping that it wasn't Jack. I didn't think I could bear seeing him just now.

"It's just me," Anna-Maria replied through the wood. "Can I come in?"

I truly did not want to talk, but knowing Anna, she wouldn't leave without a very good reason. So, of course, I went and unlocked the door, letting her slip into the cabin and take a seat in my chair.

"I'd have been here sooner, but it took me ages to get Selene and Penny to stay with Rosa," she said apologetically. "Honestly, Evie, they didn't mean anything by asking. They were just curious as to how things were progressing between you and Jack, though it's pretty clear that they aren't."

Sighing, I sat down on my bed and tucked my legs up under me. "It's alright, Anna. I know they didn't mean any harm, but it still hurts. I'm just so confused about this whole thing."

She gave me an odd look. "What do you mean? Because I swear, if Jack has been acting like an idiot again, I'll knock him into next month!"

That startled a laugh out of me. "Well, all of my confusion _is_ because of Jack and his intentions towards me."

Anna rolled her eyes. "Oh, bother," she muttered. "If a woman isn't sure about a man and his intentions, then we have problems. Tell me, what are you confused about?"

I told her everything, knowing that, somehow, Anna would be able to help me. She was my closest, dearest friend, and since she knew Jack better than most people, perhaps she would be able to tell me what I needed to know.

"Now, Evie," she said, leaning forward in her chair. "You have to realize that Jack has no knowledge whatsoever of courtship and romance. Oh, he _thinks_ he does, but when you boil down what he thinks he knows, you end up scraping the bottom of the pot."

We both smiled and shared a small giggle before Anna continued. "If he _were_ trying to win you over, believe me when I say that it's as new an experience for him as it is you. Jack knows what romance is, and might even come up with ideas that appear romantic, at least to him. Hell, he might even try acting appropriately, which means not kissing you before he thinks it's time, but that's the best he can do when it comes to that sort of thing. Just give it a little while, and eventually, he'll do the right thing."

I sighed and shook my head. "I don't know, Anna. I just don't think that he's interested in me that way. And if he tried to act affectionate, I don't know what I would do."

Anna chuckled. "Oh, Evie," she said. "You're wonderful. You can find love and romance for others, but you don't even recognize it yourself. All you can do now is let Jack act the fool for you, and see where it takes you. Let yourself take the risk of having your heart wooed or broken. It's a part of life, so go ahead and live it!"

Heaving another sigh, I nodded. "Alight, I'll try. Right now, though, I need to go assure the others that everything's alright between us, so there's no need for us to avoid one another."

* * *

After leaving Evie, Anna went right next door and barged right into Jack's main cabin. It usually wasn't a good idea to just march inside, but if Jack wanted a 'private moment' to himself, he'd lock himself inside his sleeping quarters. The main cabin was more public.

Lucky for her, he was there, seated at his desk, pouring over a map of some sort. When he looked up and saw her, he heaved a groan and got up, an act that almost had Anna grinning in amusement. Oh, how she loved annoying this man!

"What is it _now_, Anna-Maria?" he asked, clearly exasperated. "Say it quickly so that I can try and get some peace and quiet as soon as possible."

She rolled her eyes. "Sparrow, do I have to slap you to knock some sense into that rum-soaked mind of yours? Have you any idea what kind of conversation I've just had with Evie in regards to you and your antics?"

He froze, his face going pale under his tan. "What did she say?" he demanded. "Tell me right now, Anna! What did you two talk about?"

"Oh, not much," Anna sarcastically remarked, "Only that Evie is confused beyond measure as to whether you're truly interested in her, or if you're merely toying with her. For God's sake, Jack, the least you could do is show a bit of affection to prove that you care for her!"

For a moment, he said nothing. Then he spoke. "She doesn't think I want her that way?"

She snorted. "Of course not! She thinks that you either want her as a mere distraction until she finds you a bride, or that you're being kind to her."

Several seconds went by in total silence, and that was when Jack began cursing. "I'm just trying to keep my distance and not frighten her off," he ranted. "Damn it, why does love have to be so complicated when it comes to women?"

Anna felt her jaw drop. "You _love_ her?" she asked in disbelief. "You can't be serious, Jack! Think about what you just said!"

"I have," Jack said, pacing the cabin. "I can't get her out of my head. There's something about her that just makes me want to hold her close and never let her go. I need her, and just when I think I'm getting closer to winning her over, _this_ happens!"

"Drastic times call for drastic measures, then," Anna said, feeling her pirate side take over. "What are you going to do?"

Jack paced the room for a few more minutes, then stopped. "I might change plans," he said. "There are only two people whose advice I trust when it comes to love, and both of them are at Shipwreck Island."

"Oh, no," she groaned. "Your _parents_? Honestly, Jack, you want to go all the way to Shipwreck to ask your _parents_ for help? What are you, fifteen again?"

"I've got no choice," he snapped. "I won't risk losing Evie just because I haven't tried hard enough, or tried everything there is to win her heart."

"Alright, alright, calm down," Anna hastily said. "Why don't we head to Greece, and you can try a few romantic things there? Shipwreck is a long ways out there, and it's not like we visit Europe all that often. Show Evie a few coastal towns, maybe a Greek temple or two, and see where things lead. Greece can be romantic, and interesting to boot. What do you say?"

He appeared to consider it a moment, right before he nodded his agreement. "Alright, we'll stay for a few days. If Evie gives any sign that she's having doubts about my intentions, you tell me straight away. Then we head for Shipwreck, no arguments, savvy?"

Anna nodded. "Aye, Captain. I'll keep you posted."

"Good woman," Jack said with approval. "Off you go, and don't forget to tell Marty that the decks need a good swabbing."

* * *

Left alone in his cabin, Jack ran a hand over his face, feeling frustrated. Lord, how could love be so complicated? Honestly, as soon as he got to Greece, he was going to have to send a prayer to Poseidon (his favorite sea god), and Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love. Hopefully one of them would grant his wish for patience and success in love!

His head instantly filled with ideas on what to do in that great country. A visit to a local temple, perhaps, or maybe a romantic walk along a beach? Venice had been far too bustling for romantic walks, and perhaps a walk along white sand would be just what Evie needed.

'_And if all else fails, Mum and Dad will lend their help_.'

His mother especially, bless her soul. She'd been after him for ages to get married, so the least she could do was help him get what both of them wanted!

His father, however, would be more likely to knock him in the head with the butt of a pistol for being such an idiot.

"Well, one thing at a time," Jack muttered out loud. "First Greece, and then Shipwreck."

Sitting down at his desk, Jack pulled out a piece of parchment and began to scribble out ideas.

* * *

AN: Apparently there are a few bumps in the road for poor Jack! More to come soon, I promise. Review?


	21. Greece

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own anything related to _**Pirates of the Caribbean**_. Well, except a Jack Sparrow poster, but that's pretty much it. Only original creations (characters, places, etc) are mine.

AN: Okay, so Sounion is a real place in Greece –I'm not sure if there was a town there during the late 1700's or not (or if there is even one today), so we'll just pretend there was. From what I've seen in pictures, it's a gorgeous place, so why not place a quaint town there, just for the sake of fantasy? Anyway, enjoy the chapter, and please don't forget to review! Thanks!

**Chapter 21: Greece:**

Two days later, they docked in a small town outside of Athens calls Sounion. It was quaint, beautiful, and had some of the best scenery to be had in Greece.

Jack, however, was not impressed –at least, not yet. Evie had been avoiding him for the entire voyage, and Anna was giving him the evil eye, which only made things worse. Apparently his second mate had been right about Evie being in doubt about his feelings for her, and the other woman was clearly unhappy with him.

Griping the helm, he tried to relax and reassure himself that things would be alright soon. Or so he hoped…

* * *

'_I'm going to do this, or die trying_,' was Jack's determined thought, one that kept repeating throughout his head as he knocked on Evie's door.

They had docked last evening, and as such, everyone had gone to bed as soon as they were able, with the intent to wake early the next day, finish their chores, and explore the area. Jack had encouraged this idea, and had gone to bed with high hopes, which had stayed with him until this moment. Now, though he was so nervous, it felt like his breakfast was going to rebel against his stomach.

When Evie's door opened, his hopes had come crashing down on him. She looked at him with eyes that seemed lost, confused, and a little sad. Dear Lord, he couldn't stand to see her look so sad!

Gathering his courage, Jack pasted on a smile. "Morning, Evie," he greeted her. "It's a fine day for going out exploring, and I've a mind to show you one of the most impressive sights in Greece. What do you say?"

He didn't give her a chance to actually respond, because he immediately chimed, "Wonderful! Go ahead and don a comfortable pair of breeches and a light shirt, because we'll be doing a good deal of walking. I'll see you on deck in ten minutes."

Back in his cabin, Jack pulled on his coat, tucked his sword and pistol into his belt, and straightened his hat. Though he appeared confident and nonchalant, his insides were a twisted mess of fear, excitement, worry, and a slight bit of panic mixed into the whole thing. If he couldn't get Evie to see how much he cared for her before they left Greece…

'_It's my own fault, I suppose_,' he thought with a sigh. '_I should have been bolder, more affectionate towards her, like Anna said_.'

But he had honestly thought that moving slowly would be the best course of action. Moving quickly was alright when he was handling wenches, who were always willing and eager for company, but Evie was no wench, and she deserved to be treated like the good woman she was.

So he had moved carefully, thinking he was doing the right thing, and this was where it got him. Now the woman he loved thought that he didn't want her, and he had no idea how he was going to convince her otherwise. If he was too bold, she might think he was trying to bed her for one night and forget her afterwards. On the other hand, if he was too reserved, that would only reinforce her belief that he was only being a good friend, rather than a suitor.

"Blood hell," Jack growled as he headed onto the deck. Things were only getting more complicated, and he had no idea how to fix it!

Maybe a trip to Shipwreck Island was needed after all…but only if necessary.

To his relief, Evie was waiting for him on deck, as requested, and dressed appropriately in cotton breeches, shirt, and comfortable leather boots. She even had a wide brimmed hat, to keep the sun off.

In a busy, wealthy city like Venice, gowns had been a necessity for the women to fit in. Here in Sounion, a tiny town where they welcomed coin and didn't care where it came from, Evie would be safe wearing her usual sailing gear. Jack privately hoped that she had a set of blades strapped somewhere, just in case.

"Ready?" he asked. She nodded. "Excellent."

"Where are we going?" she asked as he tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow.

"It's a surprise," Jack replied, giving her a knowing grin. "Let's go."

* * *

Sounion was a far different place from Venice. Instead of a great bustling city, it was a small, quaint seaside town surrounded by beautiful hills. No matter where Jack led me through the town, the sea was in sight, and in the air I could scent both the land and the sea, creating an almost perfect setting.

Since it was a seaside town on the edge of Greece, Sounion had its share of visitors, so Jack and I didn't stand out too much, though I did receive my fair share of odd looks. I suppose that women in breeches were a rare sight, even if I did see one or two others in town.

On the outskirts of town, Jack paused before a rather sad little white shack that had a few rough wooden tables and chairs in front of it. A sign hung over the green front door, with a variety of languages written there, but I could read none of them. Jack, however, could, but he chose not to share them with me.

To my surprise, he knocked on the door, and a rather frazzled, plump Greek woman answered. He asked something in rough Greek, and she immediately brightened, her head nodding emphatically as she gestured for us to take a seat. Jack promptly shook his head, said something else, and got a sigh from the woman as a response. Finally, the woman nodded and went back inside, leaving the door open with Jack and me standing there, waiting.

Before I could ask what this place was, a stray breeze blew from the doorway, carrying the scent of roasted meat, fresh vegetables, water, and potatoes. I almost laughed as the answer; this was an eatery for travelers, and no doubt Jack had ordered a good meal for the both of us.

Jack saw that I knew what he'd done, and grinned at me. "She'll be only a moment with our lunch basket, luv," he explained. "Since it's so early in the day, some of the food's still cooking. Lucky for us, the roast lamb has been going since _very_ early this morning, so some of it's done."

I couldn't remember the last time I'd eaten roast lamb. My parents had not bought it often, and I was eager to sample the Greek style of cooking it. Besides, it had been a while since breakfast, and with the walking we had done, I was a bit hungry.

Fortunately, a young boy came out of the door with a small ceramic plate in his hands. On the plate were two triangle-shaped pastries, clearly meant for us to nibble on while we waited for the woman to pack our luncheon.

Jack immediately picked up one of the pastries. "Go on, Evie," he said. "It's a flaky pastry with nuts and honey. A Greek specialty, and quite good." He then proceeded to take a healthy bite out of it.

Well, I was fond of honey, so I quickly followed his example. It was a rather sweet concoction, but the pastry was light, flaky and crispy, the honey was marvelous with the nuts, and after a moment, I found myself finishing off the whole thing. I even managed to lick my fingers clean of the last drops of honey, just as the boy went and fetched a bowl of water for me to wash up in.

Several minutes later, the woman returned, a good-sized basket over her arm and two flasks on leather straps in her hand. She said something to Jack, who nodded, passed her a few coins, and motioned for me to take his arm again.

"On we go, luv," he said, following a trail that led up a rather large hill. "It'll be a bit of a strain getting up there, but I promise, you will _not_ be disappointed."

I sighed. A long hike up a hill was not what I had in mind, but it seemed that since Jack had gone through the trouble of obtaining lunch for us, the least I could do was go along. Besides, my outings with him had always been interesting and fun, so why not?

"Well, since it's easier to go downhill than up, I suppose it will be alright," I sighed.

He grinned. "That's the spirit!"

* * *

It began getting warm fairly quickly, and I would have been dying of heat had it not been for the flasks of water the woman had provided us. The scenery, however, was worth the effort, and all along the path we followed, I saw absolutely enchanting views of the country and the sea. There were even a few islands that I spotted offshore from where we stopped to rest.

Finally, after what seemed like both an instant and an eternity, we reached the summit of the hill we were ascending. I was tired, hungry, sweaty, and out of breath, but when I saw what awaited us, all of that was forgotten.

There stood the ruins of a temple, a glorious structure with large white steps leading up to an immense structure with columns that stood at least fifteen feet tall, all of it carved in white marble. Though the stones had aged, and less than half of the columns still stood, they were all tall and very impressive.

"Oh, my," I whispered, staring at the sight. "It's beautiful."

Jack set the basket down on a patch of green and pulled a rough blanket from inside it. He then proceeded to spread the cloth on the ground and take a seat, facing the temple. Once he was settled, he motioned for me to join him.

Without hesitation, I did so, breathing a sigh of relief as Jack began to unpack the contents of the basket. Much of the food was sealed with wax inside of rough clay containers, to keep it from spilling, so I got a nice rest while Jack ran a knife along the wax, breaking it to get at the contents.

The meal turned out to be quite impressive. There were slices of roast lamb in one pot, some kind of white herbed sauce in another, flatbread, crumbled cheese, pickled vegetables, and lettuce. There were also two small flasks of water flavored with mint, and several of the little crispy pastries for dessert. It all looked incredibly scrumptious!

I watched in surprise as Jack, rather than digging in, merely picked up a round of flatbread and held it in his hand. "Watch carefully, Evie," he said, pulling out a tiny blade from his belt.

Onto the bread, he piled meat, lettuce, vegetables, cheese, and dribbled a bit of sauce onto it all with a small spoon from the basket. When he finished putting it all together, he then rolled it carefully up and handed it to me.

"Enjoy," he said with a smile. "Go on. It'll be delicious."

Of that, I had no doubt! I happily accepted the offering and gingerly took a bite, trying to get a bit of all the ingredients at once. Oh, it was heaven! The meat was moist and savory; the vegetables crisp and refreshing; and the sauce cut through the rich taste of the meat, bringing a delectable flavor to everything it touched. The cheese crumbled and melted on my tongue, a delightful sensation that almost had me humming with joy.

It wasn't long before my meal was completely consumed –the same could be said about Jack and his own food. We both indulged in dessert and tucked the empty containers into the basket. After washing in a nearby stream, Jack left the blanket and basket where they were and motioned for me to follow him, both of the mint-water flasks dangling in his hand.

"Come on, luv," he said, taking my hand and tucking it into the crook of his arm. "Let's explore, shall we?"

* * *

Jack had always known that the great Temple of Poseidon was here. It had actually been a life-long dream of his to come and pay tribute to the sea god, his most favorite of deities, and now here he was, standing on the steps of that very place. Best of all, he had Evie with him, and she looked just as awed as he felt.

"Incredible," she muttered. "It really is a wonder how the ancient Greeks managed to build such a fantastic monument with their limited tools and resources."

"Aye," Jack said in agreement as they stood between two immense columns.

She looked over at him. "Jack, which Greek god or goddess was this temple created for?"

"Poseidon," he replied, earning a knowing smile from her. "Aye, he's a favorite of mine. Given what a dangerous life sailors live, there aren't many who _don't_ believe in one kind of god or another. Some have faith in the Christian God; others believe that Poseidon or Calypso might be our best bet for surviving a life at sea."

Evie nodded her understanding. "So this was his temple? It must have been glorious back when it was whole."

He nodded. "They clearly built it because of the views of the sea, but since Greece was a seafaring nation, many came to ask for Poseidon's protection. They brought a lot of offerings and made sacrifices to try and keep him happy."

"Sacrifices?" Evie squeaked, looking rather sick.

Jack chuckled. "Oh, no, nothing like that," he assured her. "They sacrificed animals, like cows, calves, bulls, sheep, that sort of thing, and burned the insides of the animal to the gods. They also likely placed offerings at the feet of the god's or goddess's statue. Not sure what Poseidon would have liked, but maybe pearls, shells, that kind of thing. Aphrodite probably liked flowers and other beautiful things, since she was the goddess of beauty and love."

"Are you going to make him an offering?" Evie asked, clearly curious as to what his reply would be. "I mean, if he is your favorite deity and all, are you going to give him something for his favor?"

Well, if there was ever a more opportune moment, this was it.

* * *

I watched as Jack reached into his pocket and pulled out a small string of tiny pearls. They were an array of pretty colors, from yellow to black to pink, with even a few white ones sprinkled in. I watched as he went to the western side of the temple and set the pearls down in a small groove in between the stones. He then brushed a light dusting of earth over it, probably to keep it from being found by others.

"There," he said, dusting off his hands. "Now, what say we enjoy the view, ay? There's likely to be a good sunset, too, in a few hours, and we wouldn't want to miss that. The owner of the eatery provided a tiny lantern for us to use for the trip back down."

Well, it wasn't every day I visited a Greek temple in Greece, so why not? I let Jack lead me to steps on the far side of the temple and sat down beside him, looking at the sea far below us and a large island that sat several miles offshore. There was a constant breeze coming off of the water, bringing scents of the sea up to my nose and clearing my head of all thoughts.

"Care to know a bit more about the Greeks and their gods?" Jack asked. "My dad told me quite a bit when I was younger."

I smiled. "I'd like that," I replied, straightening the floppy black hat that Anna-Maria had loaned me for the day. "Start with Poseidon and work your way onwards."

* * *

He told Evie about everything he knew about the Greeks, and was rewarded with Evie's genuine interest and her smile. Most women would have begun to yawn or had their eyes glaze over, but not Evie –she actually wanted to _learn_ something from him.

For hours they sat there together, talking about the ancient Greeks, their deities, and their ways of life. It would have been a rather boring conversation anywhere else, but when they were seated in an actual Greek temple by the sea, it was far more poignant, and Jack savored every moment of it.

Sunset eventually came, and when the sun began to turn the horizon a brilliant red-orange, he had talked himself out and both flasks were empty. Jack set them aside and managed to edge himself closer to Evie, who had turned her attention towards the horizon. The sun's fading rays made her face glow brilliantly, and softened her features as she stared at the sea.

Swallowing nervously, Jack decided to do something that was either brilliant, or incredibly stupid.

He reached up, brushed her cheek with his hand, and when she turned towards him, her face utterly beautiful in the brilliant, fading light…

He kissed her.

* * *

When his lips pressed against mine, a thousand thoughts raced through my head. I thought about how wonderful it felt -the fiery sunset before me was nothing compared to what was happening in my head and my heart. I would never forget the way my body tingled with joy, or how my heart seemed to melt in my chest.

And it was the most exquisite kiss I had ever experienced. I'd been kissed before, many years ago by the young men my parents had tried to match me with, but none of them compared to Jack. He had to have the softest lips I'd ever felt, and the tickling sensation of his beard made me want to giggle in delight.

But best of all, it wasn't a sloppy, inexperienced kiss, like my former suitors had tried when kissing me. Jack's was tender, but also bold, like the pirate he was, and full of fire. The hand he had gently pressed to my cheek now cupped it, pulling me closer to him and drawing me deeper into the kiss.

A part of me trilled joyfully, crying out that Jack really _did_ care deeply for me. However, another part wondered if his feelings were true. Did he genuinely love me, or was he merely trying to draw me into his bed, a sort of temporary company until I found him a wife?

Those feelings of doubt caused a chill to run through me, and I reluctantly pulled back (though I also need to take a breath). Jack looked torn between wonder, disappointment, and worry as he gazed at my face.

"Evie?" he asked softly. "Are you alright? What's wrong?"

I took a deep breath. "Jack, I'm sorry," I whispered. "It's just…I honestly don't know about…how you feel about me, and whether this is some sort of distraction for you." I put a hand on his arm. "I know you're a good man, but…"

I had to look away, as I couldn't bear to see the hurt look on his face.

* * *

Jack felt his hopes die within him. That settled it –if she didn't trust him and his feelings now, there was no way he was going to be able to persuade her on his own.

He sighed. '_Looks like a trip to Shipwreck Island is called for after all_.'

Out loud, he said, "Come on, luv. We'd better get back before it gets too dark."

Luckily, the trip back down to the Pearl went quickly, so there wasn't much awkward silence to put up with. Evie seemed to be deep in thought, and Jack was no less so. He was frantically thinking of how to ask his father for help in this situation, though he had a feeling that his mother would be far more sympathetic –Lillian Teague was known for both her beauty and her good advice.

They both stopped briefly to return the basket and dishware to the little Greek eatery, which the owner was glad to get. In return, the owner gave him back a coin or two, in return for bringing all of it back, with nothing stolen or broken. Jack nodded his thanks, and led Evie back to the Pearl. The sight that greeted him on deck took him by surprise and immediately made him forget his own problems.

It was Selene, the sweet girl with the dark hair and huge green eyes. Those eyes, usually so shy, were now rimmed red from tears, and there was a panicked look on her face. Behind her stood Rannoch, who also looked alarmed, but also a bit ashamed.

"Captain, we need to speak to you and Miss Evie," the large crewman said.

Nodding, Jack motioned for them to follow him. When all four of them were in the cabin, Jack closed the door and turned to inspect the pair before him. Rannoch kept his arm around Selene's shoulders, holding her as though she were a fragile glass figure. Evie, meanwhile, was holding Selene's hand, a sign that she would stand by her friend no matter what.

"Alright, Rannoch, spit it out," Jack said. "I promise that no harm will come to you or Selene if you just tell me what happened."

The bigger man nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, sir, it looks like we'll have to visit Shipwreck Island sooner than expected, for reasons you already gave early on in this venture of yours."

Jack had to stare at him a moment as his mind raced to catch up. Shipwreck Island…that was where he promised to settle the women of his crewmen if they were ever to…

"You're having a _baby_!" Evie cried, pulling Selene into a hug. The two women immediately began laughing and crying while Rannoch beamed happily.

Jack, however, had to let the whole thing catch up with him first. '_It looks like I've got the perfect cover story for going to Shipwreck, then. No need to make false stories this time_!'

Grinning broadly, he clapped his crewman on the shoulder and offered his congratulations.

* * *

AN: Review?


	22. Shipwreck Island

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I own nothing related to _**Pirates of the Caribbean**_. That belongs to Jerry Bruckheimer, Disney, and a bunch of other people. Only original characters and plotlines are mine.

AN: Slightly longer chapter this time, which I know will make a lot of people very happy. Thanks so much for reading, and please don't forget to review!

**Chapter 22: Shipwreck Island:**

That night, the other girls and I were so happy for Selene, we couldn't help but squeal in delight every few minutes. The men, of course, thought we were being ridiculous, but we ignored them -this was far too wonderful to let anyone spoil it for us.

Rannoch was obviously thrilled at the idea of becoming a father, and Selene was smiling all the time, a brilliant glow of a smile that made the rest of us women giggle and hug her whenever we could.

But of course, the promise of a child wasn't the only thing that made both of them excited. Being the good man that he was, Rannoch had decided to wed his sweetheart as soon as possible, to spare the babe from being born out of wedlock, and to prove his love and devotion to Selene.

The news of a wedding and a forthcoming child had the crew celebrating for two straight days (one day for each event), and when things managed to calm down, Gibbs and Marty decided to surprise everyone by proposing to their lasses, leaving Anna and I to help plan not one, but _three_ wedding celebrations!

To my relief, Jack decided to do a triple wedding ceremony. "No use in doing the same thing three times over," he said when asked to perform the ceremonies. "Best to get it done in one swoop."

So, while we were still in the Mediterranean, Jack declared that we would remain here until after the wedding, so that the couples could have a short honeymoon on land before we headed to Shipwreck Island.

"We need to get Selene there quickly and safely," Jack explained to the happy couples. "It's a safe haven, and we all know it's going to be a very long trip there, so we have to head off before Selene is too far along."

He had a good point, so Anna and I did our best to rush things in regards to the ceremony. We had plenty of gowns for them to wear for the ceremony, so the majority of our focus was finding which ones were more appropriate for a wedding dress. Penny decided on a pale blue gown with white lace; Selene chose a light green-and-white gown that suited her eyes, and Rosa chose a vibrant red gown ensemble that very much suited her fiery personality.

To my surprise, Anna and I were chosen as bridesmaids, and to be sure we didn't outshine the brides, we both chose to wear breeches and white shirts. However, Penny insisted that we all wear our hair up, with ribbons and fresh flowers as decorations, and all of us were to have bouquets.

It was the flowers that took the longest to fetch. Even with all five females searching the countryside, it took us several days on shore to find the right flowers for the occasion, but in the end, we all managed to find what all three brides had in mind.

For Selene's hair and bouquet, there were white flowers, both great and small, that were as sweet-looking and delicate as she was. Penny managed to create a lovely bouquet of pale blue blossoms, with a few purple ones scattered throughout for a bit of color, and tiny blue and white flowers for her hair. And for Rosa, we managed to find a few red blossoms for her hair, but she refused to carry a bouquet.

"Why should I?" she asked. "You and Anna are going to be the only two women who are going to catch the bouquets, and between Selene and Penny, you'll more than have your hands full."

Anna and I had both blushed at that, and decided to say nothing further on the matter.

For us bridesmaids, we held bouquets of wild flowers in various colors, shapes and sizes. Anna refused to have her hair done up in front of the crew, so she merely braided it and let it hang down her back. I, however, had pink and white flowers woven into my locks, which I thought was quite pretty, and the colors went well with my new white linen shirt, brown breeches and brown leather boots.

The ceremony was short, with Jack getting straight to the point of the matter at having the pairs say 'I do.' Personally, I felt that it had more to do with the fact that the men didn't want a long delay between them and the celebrating, but it might have just been me who believed this.

When rings and kisses had been exchanged between the couples, Penny and Selene had promptly shoved their bouquets at me and Anna, indicating that they wanted us to be next to wed. Anna looked torn between laughing and ripping the flowers to shreds, but I merely blushed and gave them tight hugs while congratulating them on their happiness.

Then the celebrating started. I didn't partake in the drinking, but Jack, Gibbs, Rannoch and Marty had pooled a fair amount of money together and brought aboard a feast of roasted lamb (meaning the _entire_ roasted animal), pickled and fresh vegetables, fruit, and flatbread, and of course, barrels and barrels of rum. Some of the men played music, much of it lively, and everyone quickly began having a good time.

Of course, not long after the festivities started, the couples quietly slipped away towards land, where the grooms had rented rooms for the next few days.

"Well, if Rosa and Penny aren't in the family way already, they soon will be!" Jack joked when he discovered them missing. Since he was standing right beside me, I smacked him on the arm as the men joined in the laughter and teasing.

When darkness fell, it was my turn to slip off to bed, thoroughly exhausted from the past several days.

* * *

Little more than a month after the weddings, Jack found himself pacing his cabin, wondering if he was going to go mad from impatience.

Even though it shouldn't have been impossible, Evie had managed to avoid him during their entire time at sea. It had been easy for her to do while planning her friends' wedding, but once that was over and they had left Greece, he had hoped to find a way of cornering her and talking to her.

However, she somehow managed to avoid him. That ought to have been improbable, given that they were onboard a ship at sea, but she'd been able to do it, mostly by keeping close to her female friends.

'_Who knew that women could spend so much time together_?' he thought with wonder. '_They not only do their chores as a group, they also sit and chatter in their free time_!'

Gibbs, Rannoch and Marty were of no help to him, either; they were married men now, and as such, they had chosen to not argue with their wives, who were the ones monopolizing nearly all of Evie's hours.

Oh, Jack had _tried_ to approach her, but for some reason, Evie was able to slip away and stay hidden with her friends for hours on end. Even Anna-Maria was against him, because instead of helping him get closer to Evie, she was helping keep her away! It was bloody infuriating!

Sighing, he collapsed on his bed and stared at the ceiling. "Well, at least we're almost at Shipwreck," he muttered. "Maybe Mum will be able to help me figure this whole thing out."

Oh, he could only hope!

* * *

My jaw promptly fell open at the sight of the massive, lit structure that stood in the middle of the sheltered lagoon. The only words I could use to describe it are, "Oh, my."

Beside me, Anna chuckled. "I said the same thing when I first saw it. It's made of the hulls of wrecked ships which were either sunk in battle, or were caught in a storm before they reached safety." She looked at the floating island-building closely. "Of course, I've no idea how they managed to haul it all together, but it's probably best that I don't."

Looking over at my dearest friend, I put a hand on her arm. "Thank you for helping me with avoiding Jack," I whispered, thankful we were alone at the bow of the ship. Our topic of conversation was at the helm, carefully guiding the Pearl into port.

Anna smiled and clapped a hand on my shoulder. "It wasn't exactly that hard, Evie. Since Selene is with child, we've all taken on some of her responsibilities so that she doesn't become overworked. I mean, it can't be good for the babe if the mother is tired all the time, aye? So, naturally you've taken on more chores, and want to spend time with everyone as we put together a nice wardrobe for the little one."

I chuckled. That was true enough. Rannoch had been worried that Selene would become too worn out with work on the Pearl, and so, to put his mind at ease, Anna and I had taken on some of Selene's work onto ourselves. We had even managed to put together some clothes and blankets for the little one.

As for my 'situation' with Jack, I had told Anna-Maria about what had happened in Greece, as well as my fears about Jack, and how I couldn't bear to face him. Feeling sorry for me, Anna had agreed to help me avoid him at all costs. So far, it had worked rather well.

'_So here we are_,' I thought. Soon, I would find out what it was like inside a pirate fortress.

And for some reason, that made me very uneasy.

* * *

Watching Evie's face, Anna-Maria tried not to grin. She'd purposely helped Evie keep away from Jack, even though she _should_ have been helping him in this matter.

'_Of course, it's better for Jack to do the chasing. What do they say about absence making the heart grow fonder_?' Hopefully, that would prove true in this situation, though considering how edgy and grumpy Jack had been for the past few weeks, that might be the case.

To be honest, Anna was extremely amused by this whole mess. Jack was being a complete idiot by not being outspoken about how he felt about Evie, and even though Anna was supposed to be helping him win her over, she decided against it. Seducing women had always come easily to Captain Jack Sparrow, and it was good for him to have a challenge when it came to winning over the woman he considered the love of his life.

Evie, on the other hand, was totally in denial about Jack's feelings, which not only drove _him_ mad, but Anna as well. Although Evie was her closest friend, Anna didn't know whether to laugh or strangle the poor girl.

To be sure, Anna could see Evie's point of view on the matter. Given Jack's reputation with women, and the fact that he was a rogue and a pirate, any woman with an ounce of sense would doubt his motives towards her. When it came down to it, Evie was just trying to be cautious and not get her heart broken, which Anna completely understood.

'_Still, the whole thing's bloody annoying, especially when you're caught in the middle of it all_!'

Blowing a stray lock of hair out of her eyes, Anna bit back a sigh and went to go help tighten a few key ropes. With any luck, Jack's parents would be able to help him with the mess he'd gotten himself into.

* * *

It was nightfall when the Pearl finished docking, and when it came time to disembark, Jack slipped up beside me and slid an arm around my waist, his hand resting firmly on my hip.

"Stay close, luv," he whispered as he escorted me down the gangplank. "This _is_ a pirate town, after all. I don't want anyone getting the wrong ideas and laying a hand on you."

I didn't want to admit it, but it was rather sweet of him to care about my safety. That is why, after spending weeks avoiding him, I allowed Jack to lead me (and the crew) into the massive structure that was the floating town of Shipwreck.

Inside, the place was a confusion of passageways, ramps, stairs, ladders, halls and rooms, some of them appearing to have no purpose whatsoever. Oh, there were the usual things that every port town has: taverns, shops, eateries, blacksmiths, even a market with stalls selling everything from vegetables to exotic goods. However, trying to get to some of those places was like trying to weave your way through a maze so confusing, it made me dizzy.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, but which probably was only twenty minutes or so, Jack halted before a large, elaborately decorated archway with two large wood doors that stood closed. Oddly enough, it was guarded by several older-looking pirates who looked as though they should have been spending their last days in a tavern, rather than here.

The older men all nodded at Jack as though they recognized him, and one of them slipped through the doors, likely to announce our arrival. The fellow returned a moment later and motioned for the others to open both doors.

"Take a deep breath," Jack muttered as he appeared to be gathering his courage.

I stared at him. "Are you talking to me or yourself?" I whispered, suddenly worried.

"Both," he answered, right before the doors opened and he led me inside.

* * *

It was an immense room lit by flickering candles and lamps, with rough sets of tables and chairs set along the sides, leaving the center open for us to approach the opposite side, where there was a short dais sporting a large, elaborately carved, throne-like chair. On closer inspection, it _did_ seem to resemble a throne room, and it took me a moment to consider _how_ the room must have been built, here at the center of Shipwreck. But then I remembered what Anna had said, and decided it was best not to think about it.

Before I could look at the rest of the room, a man stepped out from a shadowed, nearly invisible door behind the large chair. He let the door close behind him and stepped into the light to greet us. When I was able to look at him properly, my jaw dropped.

If I were to age Jack about thirty or forty years, he would look exactly like this man. He had the same wicked gleam in his dark eyes, which said that he had a sense of humor, but that he was also capable of some rather naughty thoughts and deeds. The man also possessed the same knowing, cocky smirk that Jack had, as well as the odd affinity for weaving beads and ornaments into his dreadlocked hair.

'_Then there is the hat, the coat, and the way he wears his sword and pistol_,' I counted off inside my head.

But even more astounding was the way he walked –or rather, swaggered. It was so like Jack that I had to look back and forth between the two of them, wondering if I was somehow looking through a window into the future.

'_That's silly_,' chided the sensible part of my mind. '_He's more likely a relative of Jack's_.'

And that was when I realized who I was looking at: this had to be Jack's father!

* * *

Watching Evie's shock and realization had almost been worth the trip to Shipwreck. Jack had nearly laughed at her expression, but he knew better than to laugh in front of his father. Though he did possess a sense of humor, Captain Teague didn't like people laughing at odd times in front of him. Jack had a feeling it was because his dad felt they were laughing at _him_, and it was _never_ a good idea to laugh at Captain Teague.

"Well, Jackie?" his father said, eying him closely. "What brings you here? Though I think you're a bit overdue for a visit."

Not wanting his crew to overhear his conversation, Jack turned around. "Alright, off with you!" he hollered at them.

Teague nodded. "The men at the door will find lodgings for you." When they didn't move, he eyed them critically. "Why are you still standing there?"

The crew immediately scattered, with the exception of Anna-Maria, who was approaching Evie _very_ carefully, clearly wanting to get her friend to go with her. Jack, however, had other ideas. The hand he had around Evie's waist tightened, and he glared at his second mate, silently telling her to go. She barely had time to nod before her feet carried her out of the room –even _she_ didn't want to disobey Jack's father, since his wrath was legendary.

Alone at last, Jack shifted uncomfortably when his father's direct gaze landed on him. "Uh, Dad, this is Evie," he said, introducing them. "Evianna Watkins, actually, but we all call her Evie. Evie, luv, this is my father, Captain Teague, Keeper of the Pirate Code."

He could tell she was a bit awed, surprised, and intimidated, but she managed to scrounge up enough courage to smile and nod her head in respect. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Captain," she said, still smiling. Then, suddenly she asked, "How are you today?"

For a moment, Jack didn't know who was more surprised –him or his father. He considered the idea that perhaps Evie was a bit mad, but then he saw his father smile, and knew that everything was alright…for now.

"Right now, I'm feeling rather confused," Teague replied openly. "I would very much like for my son to explain why he's decided to pay me a surprise visit. But other than that, I'm very well, thank you, Miss Evie."

"I'm glad to hear that you're well." She smiled at him even more, using all of her charm to sooth his father's ruffled feathers. "As for your questions, I'm sure that Jack would be more than happy to answer them, though he might want to do so in private."

Evie tilted her head to the side and gave him a tired look. "In the meantime, I hope I can prevail on you to point me in the direction of my own quarters. I know you mentioned rooms for the crew, and I would like to find a place of my own to lie down in."

Much to Jack's surprise, his father tipped his hat in a polite gesture. "Forgive my rudeness, Miss Evie," he apologized. "Actually, I doubt that a young lady such as you would be comfortable where my boy's crew will be lodging. I have a much better place in mind."

Then Dad offered his arm to Evie, who accepted it without a second thought, causing Jack to become more than a little nervous. What was his father up to?

* * *

I was surprised to find Captain Teague a polite man, but then, Jack could be quite gentlemanly when he wanted to be, so perhaps I shouldn't have been as shocked as I was.

Not wanting to be rude, I accepted his arm and let him lead me out of the large throne room. We traveled down a few hallways, and past a dozen or so doors until we reached what could only be called a wing of rooms. This hall seemed fairly well-kept and clean, with the walls painted a deep green and the doors beautifully carved with different themes, such as flowers, shells, animals, sea creatures, etc. The doors were few and far between, which meant that the rooms lay behind them were quite spacious.

"This is our wing," Captain Teague said. "I've got my rooms here, as does Lillian, my wife. She's off visiting a few friends in Boston, and won't be back for a few months, I'm afraid. Jackie's got his rooms over there," he waved towards the door with sea creatures on it, "and you'll have that one there, the one with the animals carved on it. It's a guest room, very quiet, and fairly pretty. Lillian had it made up in case we expanded our family, but Jackie here was our only child, so she turned it into a guest room."

"Thank you very much, Captain Teague," I said, smiling gratefully. "Would it be alright if I went and fetched my belongings?"

He shook his head. "It's not safe for a lady to walk alone in a place like Shipwreck. No, you use the dresses and nightgowns in the chests and drawers in there –there are plenty, most of them being clothes my wife Lily has never worn. You wear those, and I'll have someone fetch your things in the morning. I'll have a nice supper sent up for you, and you get some rest. I'll see you in the morning, aye?"

Since that sounded absolutely wonderful, I had to give in. After bidding Jack and his father 'goodnight,' I went into the room and began to inspect it. The theme was a deep green, creating a forest feel, with crème or beige trimming on the bed curtains, bedding, and the curtains over the large window that overlooked the docks.

The furniture was carved mahogany, oak, or pine, all of it very fine. In all my life, I had never slept in a room like this, not even in my parents' house. We had been fairly comfortable, but this room was for a truly wealthy family…or a pirate one!

As promised, I found gowns in a wardrobe, and nightgowns in a chest at the end of the bed. My supper was brought as I was choosing a nightgown, and I quickly inhaled the meal, which consisted of slices of roasted pig, cooked vegetables and a creamy custard for dessert.

When my plate was cleaned, I immediately changed, washed my mouth with warm water, and tucked myself into bed, falling asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

* * *

AN: Review?


	23. Much Needed Advice and Interference

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own anything related to _**Pirates of the Caribbean**_. Well, except a Jack Sparrow poster, but that's pretty much it. Only original creations (characters, places, etc) are mine.

AN: Okay, I'm going to admit that, surprisingly (or not), this story is almost over. I'd give it two more chapters, and then that'll be it. No worries, though, because I've got another _**Pirates**_ story (as well as a _**Phantom**_ one) brewing in the back of my head, so keep a sharp eye out for one of those later! In the meantime, thanks for reading, and please don't forget to review!

**Chapter 23: Much Needed Advice and Interference:**

As his father led him to his private study, Jack felt his nerves begin to take over. He began having flashbacks to his childhood, and images immediately began filling his head. He began remembering the times he'd been caught playing pranks on his father's crewmen, or the night when he'd wooed too many of the local wenches and had to have a good 'talking-to' from his parents.

Even as he sat down in front of his father's desk, his feet warming in front of the small iron stove, Jack began to feel as though he were going to get a sound lecture from his father. In the back of his head, Jack silently wished that his Mum were here to soften whatever blows –either verbal or physical- his father might dish out.

"Now, Jackie," his father said, taking a seat across from him, "Am I going to be right when I _guess_ that you're here because of the charming young lady sleeping a few hallways over?"

Teague knew he was right, so Jack didn't need to say anything on the matter. He must have also seen something in Jack's face that gave the whole thing away, too –his father had always been skilled at reading people.

Sighing, Jack wished he had a flask or a bottle of rum to drink from. Then, just like magic, there was a full bottle being offered to him. Bless his dad for knowing when rum was called for!

After a few deep pulls from the glass bottle, Jack let the alcohol spread through his body, warming him from his belly and giving him just a tiny bit more courage to talk about his problem. His father, of course, sipped his own rum and waited for Jack to gather his thoughts. It took some time, but then, his dad was a patient man when it counted.

"Aye, you're right," Jack admitted. "It's Evie."

Teague chuckled. "That's what I thought," he said, sitting back in his chair. "Good girl, that one. Sweet, thoughtful, and pretty, not to mention she looks like a girl who isn't afraid of hard work. Your mum would love her." Then he sat forward. "But the question is, do _you_ love her, or are you going to ruin this whole thing by doing something foolish and breaking her heart?"

Jack would have felt insulted if the words hadn't been true. His reputation with women was well-known, and although most women knew what they were getting into when it came to dealing with him, Jack had been known to (sometimes unwittingly) break a few hearts. In this case, however…

"Evie's different," Jack insisted, taking another long pull from his bottle. "I thought it would be easy to win her over, but it's proving nay impossible to do."

He explained Evie's confusion over his actions, how she didn't understand or know his true motives or feelings, and how he, Captain Jack Sparrow, had no idea how to convince his lady-love that he genuinely had feelings for her.

Once the whole story was out, Teague sat back in his chair and shook his head, the ornaments in his hair chiming softly as his hair swung gently back and forth.

"You always did know how to make a mess of things, Jackie," he chided his son. "Then again, love is a complicated thing that pirates rarely find, though I did manage to notice a few lasses amongst your crewmen."

Jack smiled. "Aye, a few of the lads ended up getting married a week ago, and one of them is expecting to be a father soon. Evie _is_ a matchmaker, after all, and she managed to find a wife for Gibbs, of all people!"

His father could only blink at him. "_Joshamee_ Gibbs?" he drawled, clearly wanting to be sure he heard right. "You're pulling my chain, boy! That man swore he would always stay a confirmed bachelor."

"Aye, but that's before he met a sassy little Spanish girl named Rosa," Jack said, grinning. "Fell head-over-heels in love, he did. She's a wonder with herbs, and doesn't mind a man who indulges in drink, so things turned out alright all around."

Teague gave a whistle, clearly impressed. "That girl of yours must work miracles, then. You'd better snatch her up before some other scallywag does."

Jack sighed again. "That's the problem, remember? She doesn't know what to make of me, and I've no idea how to make her see how I feel!"

Across from him, his father shook his head. "You've certainly dug yourself in deep with this one, boy," he muttered in his rough voice. "Still, I see your point. A pity your Mum isn't here; she'd tell you exactly how to handle yourself in this situation. Since I'm the only one you've got, though, I'll see what I can come up with and let you know, aye?"

That was probably the best he could get at this point. Swallowing another few mouthfuls of rum, Jack nodded. "Aye," he said in agreement. "Well, I'm going to go get some rest."

"You do that," his father agreed. "Tomorrow, you join me for lunch, and we'll see what can be done."

Nodding, Jack headed off to bed, one hand clutching his rum bottle as he went to finish it off in his own quarters. No doubt it would provide a decent night's sleep, at least.

* * *

Watching his son walk off, Teague shook his head. For all that Jack was a brilliant pirate, with a reputation to rival his father's, he just wasn't that keen when it came to women.

Sighing, he sat back in his chair and considered his options. "Lily, my dove, I wish you were here to help me with this," he muttered, thinking fondly of his wife. "By the time I write you a note for a few suggestions, and get your reply, Jack and his bonny lass will have made a mess of everything, and we'll never get those grandchildren you've always wanted."

Drat that boy and his bumbling ways with women! Well, Teague had a feeling that he knew how to fix all this; he just had to get a bit more information, and wait for the opportune moment to come. After that, things would fall into place. For him, they always did.

* * *

I woke to a comfortable bed, a beautiful room, and the sun shining outside my large window. I hadn't noticed it last night, but I actually had a balcony outside the bay windows!

Yawning, I stretched and slowly climbed out of the bed. I was tempted to try on one of the gowns Captain Teague had told me of, but was unsure as to what my day would hold, so I decided to wear my usual shirt, breeches and boots from the night before. I'd only just picked up my clothes when there was a knock on the door.

"Miss Evie?" called a rough, older voice. "Captain Teague would like you to join him for breakfast in an hour. He'd like you to wear something from the trunk or wardrobe."

I was surprised, but managed to stammer my reply, saying I would be happy to eat with the captain. Once the man had stomped off, I rushed to find a proper dress to wear, nearly taking the doors off of the wardrobe in my haste and panic. Oh, there were so many to choose from, and even though some of them were out of style, I was still overwhelmed by the rich materials they were made of. They resembled the dresses that Jack had provided for me –all were made of thin cotton, silk, satin, or velvet, and most were trimmed with lace or ribbons.

Deciding that I would rather be comfortable than elegant and fashionable, I chose a simple green dress made of cotton, with cream silk trimming –it was light and easy to move about in, as well as comfortable. I liked it very much, and miraculously found a pair of leather slippers that fit fairly well.

After putting my hair up into a neat, tight bun and waving a bit of ribbon around and through it, I was ready. Taking a deep breath, I opened my door and stepped out, only to be greeted by an elderly man with long white whiskers, spectacles, and a kindly smile on his wrinkled face. He was slightly bent at the shoulders, likely from years of hard work, and his clothes were slightly worn, but he seemed like a decent fellow.

"Follow me, miss?" he said, gesturing for me to do so.

Lucky for me, it wasn't far to our destination. There, my escort opened a door and motioned me inside with a bow. Anxiously fiddling with the skirt of my dress, I stepped into the room and nearly swallowed my tongue out of sheer nerves. While Jack was a good man, I wasn't sure what his father was like. He was rather intimidating, standing there with a look in his eyes that said that he could see right through me, and if I went against him, I'd regret it. And I was going to have breakfast with him.

"Good morning, Miss Evie," he said, touching the brim of his hat. "I'm glad you could make it. Please sit down."

He motioned towards a small table with two place settings, and a covered plate at each place. To my surprise, Captain Teague actually pulled out my chair for me, and made sure I was comfortable before taking his own. When we were both seated, an older man appeared, removed the covers from the plates, and vanished, leaving us to our meal.

It looked wonderful, which I hadn't expected in a pirate city. The eggs were perfectly cooked, with a light, frothy lemon sauce over them, and the sausage was expertly seasoned. There was also a small tray of toast, two flavors of jam, and fresh fruit. There was also tea for myself, and rum for the Captain.

We ate in relative silence, with my host occasionally asking if my room was alright, if I enjoyed the food, and whether I had enough gowns to my liking. He was very kind, and I began to gradually lose my nervousness around him.

When we finished and the dishes cleared, Captain Teague invited me to sit in a comfortable chair before a small stove. I accepted a cup of freshly brewed tea and sat across from him, the two of us facing one another as we sipped our respective drinks. After a moment of quiet, he spoke.

"So, Miss Evie," he said, taking a small sip from his rum glass, "Jack tells me you're a matchmaker."

I flushed. "Yes, sir," I timidly replied, my nervousness creeping back.

I nearly jumped when he chuckled. "Oh, no need to be so formal with me" he said. "You can call me Teague. But if 'sir' makes you feel better, you may do that, if you like."

It truly would, and when I said so, he allowed me to do it. With that out of the way, he continued our talk. "So if you're a matchmaker, does that mean you know how to read people very well?" Captain Teague asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Well, in a way it does. Most of the time, however, it's mostly my getting to know the people I'm making matches for, with a bit of luck sprinkled in," I replied, sipping my tea.

He nodded. "But you're a handsome young thing. Why don't you try making a match for yourself? I'm sure that you know what kind of man you're looking for, don't you?"

I blushed at his straightforwardness. "Well, yes, I do know the sort of man I want," I told him. He waved for me to continue on that thought. "I'd like someone who is kind, for one. Not someone who is weak and desperate to please me, of course, but a person who has a good heart and truly cares about others."

Captain Teague was nodding. "What else? Do you want someone handsome and rich? Most women want that sort of thing in a husband."

I couldn't help but chuckle. "Well, good looks can only go so far for so long. Good-looking will do fine, and as for rich, I'd rather not have a pompous, fat idiot as a husband. Honestly, I'd like someone who understands hard work and isn't afraid of it. I couldn't abide a lazy man."

He chuckled and took a sip of rum. "All very admirable qualities, and a sign of good taste. But what is the most important thing you're looking for?"

I thought about it. "I want someone who loves me, for who I am and not just because they want an agreeable wife." I smirked. "He should also be able to make me laugh. I like men who have a sense of humor."

"Aye, that's the truth, lass!" Captain Teague laughed and held his glass up to 'cheers' with mine. "You seem like the kind of girl who loves to live life and laugh at it once in a while. Good for you!"

When our cups were drained, I was free to return to my rooms, as Captain Teague had some business to attend to. There I found a small stack of my clothing waiting for me, along with the whalebone handled knives that Anna-Maria had given me so long ago. There was also a sword lying atop the clothes, but since I didn't consider myself very proficient in swordplay yet, I decided to leave it on a nearby chair. On a side table lay a stack of scented soap bars, a beautiful hairbrush made of honey-colored wood, my combs, and my perfume.

"Goodness," I muttered, walking over to pick up a pair of shirt and breeches.

"Aye, you have me to thank for all this," joked a female voice from the doorway.

Whirling around, I grinned. "Anna-Maria!" I cried, dashing over to hug her. "You helped with this?"

She nodded. "I saw some of Captain Teague's old codgers head for the Pearl and thought I'd head them off, rather than let them pick up the wrong things from your cabin. The clothes they might have gotten right, but not your weapons, or the perfume. The soap is something Rosa bought here in Shipwreck, and Penny found the hairbrush for you at a market stall. The sword is something I thought you might want to openly carry, seeing as we're in a pirate town and all."

I hugged her again. "Thank you so much. I'm going to change out of this dress and the two of us can go explore the town together."

A few minutes later, we were on our way, our weapons out in the open and within easy reach as we headed deep into Shipwreck.

* * *

Reclining back in his seat, Teague swirled his rum around in its bottle and lost himself in thought. So Evie had an idea of what kind of man she wanted –that was interesting. Teague, however, knew that Jack was the perfect fit for her, and vice versa. That was a good sign, because he genuinely liked the girl, and could picture her as a partner for his son, as well as a daughter-in-law for himself and for Lily.

'_Poor fools are just too blind to see it_,' he thought, shaking his head.

_Why_ did he have to have a son with so little sense when it came to women? And here he was without Lily to help fix this whole mess!

'_No worries_,' he silently told himself. '_Things will work out for the best, sooner or later_.'

Still, it couldn't be fast enough for him, not when his son's happiness was on the line. Patience, however, was key in this kind of situation, and in all his years of sailing, he had learned patience.

Well, to a certain extent, anyway…

* * *

"Anna, I'm famished," I whined, tugging on my friend's arm. "We've been walking for hours, and if I don't eat, drink and rest, you're going to have to _carry_ me back to my room, and I _know_ you don't want that!"

She sighed, but nodded in agreement. "Alright, let's eat something. We're almost back to your room anyway; it's just down that hallway and to the left, so I don't suppose it would do no harm."

We found a stall selling freshly cooked seafood, and Anna and I shared a steamed crab and a bowl of clams cooked in broth, with bread and melted butter to accompany. After we'd finished and cleaned up, I found a stall selling cups of fruit juice, and purchased one for myself while Anna bought a bottle of rum (which, unsurprisingly, was being sold or traded for all over the island).

Full and refreshed, Anna and I turned towards the hallway leading up to Captain Teague's wing. We were barely a foot in the hall when a male voice called out to us.

"You don't want to head up there, ladies," it warned, causing us to turn around.

Now _here_ was a handsome fellow. He was tall, with shining black hair, deeply tanned skin, piercing blue eyes, and a shining smile. Clad in a simple white shirt, brown breeches, a brown sash around a slim waist, and black boots, he was a sight to wring any female's heart. So, of course, Anna-Maria was suspicious of him, as she probably always was with any man who tried to keep her from doing something.

"And why shouldn't we?" she retorted, crossing her arms over her chest. "What business is it of _yours_, anyway?"

He grinned even wider. "Sassy," he said, tucking his thumbs into his sash. "What's your name, if I might ask?"

She bristled. "None of your business. If you're looking for fun, go find it elsewhere." Anna proceeded to toss her hair arrogantly over her shoulder, giving him the signal that it would be a bad idea to try and stop us.

The man shrugged. "I just want to be sure you know what you're getting into, that's all. That wing there belongs to Captain Teague, the Keeper of the Code, and he won't tolerate strangers exploring the area that belongs to him and his family. The last man who tried ended up losing a leg from the pistol shot he took to it."

It was a horrible story, and one that I would have been afraid of if it hadn't been for one thing. "That's alright," I said, smiling at him, "We're crewmembers on his son's ship."

"You work on the Black Pearl, for Captain Sparrow?" he asked, blue eyes wide with astonishment. "Then it's no wonder you aren't worried about getting discovered up there!"

He gave Anna an even closer look. "I don't suppose the Captain is hiring, is he? I've been dying to get off this rock for years, but ships rarely pass by, looking for crewmembers. Most of the sailors and their captains are looking for a place to settle down, not keep sailing, so I'm always left here, waiting to get away. "

I felt a pang of sympathy for him. "I'll see if I can talk to Jack –I mean, Captain Sparrow," I corrected myself. "I'm sorry; but I didn't get your name."

The stranger smiled. "Nor I, yours," he said, holding out his hand to shake. "I'm Adam Marshall. Pleased to meet you, miss."

"I'm Evie," I said, introducing myself, "And this is Anna-Maria, or Anna, for short."

Anna didn't take his hand –instead, she scowled at him even more and took my arm. "Come on, Evie," she said, pulling me back towards my room. "I'd better get you back before the Captain misses you and decides to send a search party!"

"It was nice to meet you, Mr. Marshall," I said as my friend dragged me away.

"Call me Adam," he called before we vanished around a corner.

Before we'd gone more than ten feet, Anna began complaining under her breath. "I can't believe you said you would talk to the Captain about him!" she hissed. "What were you thinking?"

I rolled my eyes. "Really, Anna, it was the least I could do! He _did_ try to keep us from going into Captain Teague's living area –if we weren't the Captain's guests, it would have been a thoughtful gesture. Besides, he seemed like a rather nice man."

"_Pirate_, Evie," she lectured me as we stopped in front of my room. "Remember, the men here are pirates, or the sons or grandsons of pirates, so you have to keep your mind sharp when dealing with them. That means you're going to have to _not_ mention this to the Captain, and just forget that you'd made that promise to him."

"That's not going to happen, Anna," I firmly told her. "I'll mention it to Jack, of course, but whether or not he decides to carry it further is up to him. Now, are you going to stop being so silly and come inside?"

"_Silly_?" she cried, then realized that I was teasing her. "Oh, you…you…"

Giggling, I smiled and gave her a hug. "You're absolutely wonderful to tease, Anna," I said, pulling away. "Go back to your quarters, and don't give any of this another thought, alright?"

Sighing, she shook her head. "Alright, but I'll be back to check on you before dinnertime. If you aren't dining with either of the Captains, you're mine to torture for the night."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," I replied, chuckling as I let myself into my room, a plan brewing in the back of my mind.

* * *

AN: Review?


	24. Unexpected Joys

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own anything related to _**Pirates of the Caribbean**_. Well, except a Jack Sparrow poster, but that's pretty much it. Only original creations (characters, places, etc) are mine.

AN: Story's almost over, everyone! Please don't forget to review!

**Chapter 24: Unexpected Joys:**

Lunch with his son, alone, was not something Teague partook in often. It usually turned out to be something long, dull, and awkward, which neither one of them liked, but did anyway as a sense of duty to one another. So far, they had limited such meals to less than ten occasions in their lives, and this was one of them.

Sitting at the table, the two of them ate their meals in silence. Since there were no ladies present, Teague had chosen to have it served on plain metal plates rather than china, and their drinks were poured in rough wooden mugs rather than better ones, or in glasses.

When they finished, Teague and his son sat beside the stove, drinking rum and saying nothing. Finally, after a while, he spoke.

"Jackie, if you want to fix this situation with Evie, you're going to have to tell her your feelings," he said. "If you don't, you might lose her. Normally, you're not one to be at a loss for words, but I'm assuming the reason you're holding back is that you actually have no idea what to say to the poor girl."

His boy shifted in his seat and nodded. "Much as it pains me to say it, you're right," he admitted. "I can honestly say that I have no idea how to admit my feelings to Evie, and it's driving me mad."

Teague sighed. "Jack, my lad, all you have to do is get the girl alone, and just _tell_ her. She can't bloody read your mind, so you might as well let the whole thing spill out before it's too late."

Jack stared at the glowing coals within the stove. "But what if it's too late already? What if she finds another lad here who gets to her heart before I do?"

After that, Teague let his son drink himself into oblivion, and after the lad had passed out in his chair, Teague had a few of his men drag his unconscious offspring back to his rooms, leaving him to his thoughts.

'_Bloody hell_! _If Jack won't take matters into his own hands, I will_!'

All that remained was to find the exact moment to do so…

* * *

A little more than a week after our arrival in Shipwreck, I found myself staring at Anna-Maria, wondering if I had heard her correctly.

"I'm sorry," I apologized, "but I could have sworn that you just said that you're getting _married_."

She blushed, but instead of smiling, she gave me something that was somewhere between a smile and a scowl. "It's your own fault," Anna scolded me, though it was barely halfhearted. "If you hadn't insisted that I 'get to know' Adam, this wouldn't have happened!"

I couldn't help laughing at that.

To be honest, it _was_ my fault. The evening of the day we had first met Adam, Anna had come by to take me to dinner at an eatery that was popular with the inhabitants of Shipwreck. Since I hadn't had any plans, and Captain Teague hadn't invited me to dine with him, I had agreed to go.

We hadn't gone far from Captain Teague's wing before Mr. Marshall appeared. It was as though he'd been waiting for us to appear, and the moment that Anna saw him, she was on edge. I, of course, greeted him cordially, and Adam –as he asked us to call him- did the same. When I asked if he would care to join us for dinner, he accepted and smiled his thanks, though his eyes were focused on Anna-Maria, who did her best to ignore him.

Our journey to our meal had been fairly awkward, but Adam and I managed to talk about our different lives growing up, with Anna keeping silent as she walked behind me. When we reached the eatery, I had to hide a smile when Adam made sure to situate his chair so that he had a very good view of Anna-Maria, though he did it without seeming to slight me in any way.

The meal had been plain fare, consisting of fresh cooked fish, potatoes, and bread, but it had been masterfully made, and very tasty. Over the meal, Adam and I made polite talk about Shipwreck and those that lived here, while Anna pointedly ignored any questions that Adam made towards her. I, meanwhile, did my best to pull her into conversation with Adam, but she resisted my efforts entirely. If I hadn't liked her so much, I'd have lectured her on manners, and told her to at least _attempt_ to be polite.

Afterwards, when my friends had shown me back to my room, I pulled Anna aside and gently told her to be decent to Adam, as he had insisted on seeing her back to her own quarters (a gesture I encouraged by commenting on how thoughtful he was).

Rolling her eyes, Anna quietly promised me that she would try and be decent to him, but hinted that I shouldn't be surprised if I suddenly saw the man limping around the Island tomorrow, nursing a black eye. Laughing, I sent the two off back towards Anna's rooms, with the promise of seeing them soon.

What I _hadn't_ known was that, after the two of them left, Adam had finally coaxed Anna into talking to him by cracking a few jokes about Jack Sparrow, which was the perfect way to make her laugh. The two of them then began talking about Jack's adventures before moving on to Anna's own experiences at sea, a conversation that lasted well into the night.

It was an occurrence that continued from that evening onwards. Anna never breathed a word to me of how she began seeing Adam, as she felt that it would amount to nothing –or worse, that I would gloat and say 'I-told-you-so' about how _friendly_ they were becoming. Because of this, they only met in secret, after I was safely in my own quarters, and away from prying eyes.

"My goodness," I breathed, smiling as I took her hands. "Well, I hope you can allow me a _small_ 'I-told-you-so,' since I was the one who told you that Adam was a decent fellow."

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Alright, you were right. Now, I know it's a bit soon to marry, but I figure that if the prospect of marriage to a sharp-tempered, colored pirate lass like myself doesn't scare him off, he must be worth keeping. So, he and I plan to wed within the next week or two. I want to give him time to realize the commitment that he's taking on, especially since he'll be joining us on the Pearl when we set sail."

My eyebrows rose in surprise. "Have you told Jack yet?" I asked, grinning broadly.

Anna's grin was even wider than mine. "Not yet. Why don't you and I plan the wedding first, and then we'll move on from there?"

We immediately plunged into talks about attendants and outfits, but I was somewhat distracted. In the past nine days, I hadn't encountered Jack, not once. I heard from Gibbs (who we sometimes ran into on our daily explorations of Shipwreck) that Jack had taken on the immense project of having the hull scraped of barnacles. To do this, he had beached the ship on the far side of the island, staked it down so that it didn't float away, and had gathered a number of hard-working men to help with the task. That had been the day after we'd arrived, and I hadn't seen him since.

A finger poked me in the side. "Thinkin' about the Captain, are you?" Anna teased me. "Ah, I can see it in your face! Well, the rascal's been keeping himself busy and out of trouble, which I think is a good thing. The only problem is that it keeps him away from _you_ as well."

I had to blush. "Anna! We're supposed to be talking about you and Adam, not me!"

She shook her head. "It's a sad thing that I'm getting wed before you, Evie," she said, her voice miserable. "You're a far kinder soul than me, and yet here I am getting hitched to a man I haven't even known for two weeks. Meanwhile, you're sitting there alone while that idiot Captain of yours is scraping shells off of his ship's hull!"

"He is not _my_ Captain," I said, blushing. "Don't worry about it, Anna. Let's focus on you first, then move onwards to me and my odd situation."

It was clear she was reluctant to do so, but since Jack was a rather touchy subject, she gave in.

The rest of the day was spent creating lists and exchanging ideas over who to invite and who could be left out of the whole event.

* * *

Staring at the view outside his study, Captain Teague was doing his best to resist the urge to strangle his son. The foolish boy had gotten it into his head that Evie needed space and 'time to think,' and so he'd taken his sorry bum off to the other side of Shipwreck Island to tend to his ship.

If these had been different circumstances, such as Jack and Evie having a fight of some kind, giving the girl 'space' would have been a good idea. As it was, this was the worst thing to do while trying to win over a girl, as it left open the chance for her to find another man.

"The next time I see him, I'm going to knock some sense into that fool's head," Teague muttered aloud.

On a more positive note, he had just learned a bit of news that was going to give him the perfect, most opportune moment to get Evie and Jack together. All he had to do was call in a few favors, make a few threats, and work out a few details in secrecy, and everything would fall into place.

Teague smiled to himself. He loved it when things fell into place…

* * *

I shook my head. "Anna, I don't know if this is such a good idea," I began, but was cut off by her glare.

"Evie, you're my good friend, but please don't argue with the bride when she tells you to wear a color that she picked out," she retorted. "And it's a fine color that suits you, so just keep quiet, ay?"

Sighing, I straightened my new, clean white shirt and the beautifully decorated corset that went over it. I wasn't sure if red and black were a good idea for a wedding, but it was Anna-Maria's choice, and given how hard the seamstresses and corset-maker had worked over the past week, the least I could do was wear it.

"It seems a bit dark for a wedding, though," I said, looking at my black breeches and boots, as well as the black leather belt around my waist that held a knife at each side of my hips.

"Aye, but this is a _pirate_ wedding, and since you won't match or clash with the gold-and-black corset I'm wearing, that suits me just fine," Anna said as she finished putting up her hair. "Now, help me with mine."

Once I finished lacing her up, we took turns tucking flowers into our hair. Anna was breathtaking, with exotic yellow blossoms woven into her midnight locks. I, on the other hand, had chosen to have one single red blossom in my hair, tucked over my right ear, and a bouquet of them in my hands. Rebel that she was, Anna had chosen to carry no flowers at all.

As for our three other female friends, they had chosen to sit at the front and smile happily during the ceremony. The ceremony was going to be an affair with only the Pearl's Captain and crew present, and our female friends had declared it only right that I be the lone bridesmaid, as they hadn't been friends with Anna as long as I had.

"Well?" I asked, looking over at our reflections in the floor length mirror. "Are you ready?"

She gave me a nervous smile. "As ready as I'll ever be."

* * *

I was surprised to see Jack standing, not at the altar, but rather in the position of best man to the groom, which was odd. He had returned only yesterday at the request of Anna-Maria, who wanted her captain to be the one to conduct the ceremony. He had agreed, and should be standing in the priest's position.

Instead, I saw Captain Teague in that place, a pleased smile on his lips as Anna and I took our spots at the open double doors that led into the large gathering chamber. I was shocked, to say the least, to spot members of Captain Teague's crew amongst the attendants and so, apparently, was Anna.

"Lord, what is _he_ doing there?" Anna muttered as I made ready to make my way down the aisle ahead of her. "I didn't invite Teague here, or his crew!"

Sadly, I couldn't answer her, as the three crewmen assigned to play the wedding march struck up the tune, and I had to take my step forward.

* * *

Watching Evie step forward, two pirate captains did their best to hide their smirks.

The first was the Captain of the Black Pearl, who watched her with a heart that ached with love and longing, but also with great pride. He knew that the woman he loved was, to be quite honest, the most beautiful woman on the island, even more so than the bride who walked a few steps behind her.

The second was the father of Jack Sparrow, who had every reason to smile this day…

* * *

The ceremony was brief, to say the least. Anna hadn't wanted something that went on for ages –just a quick exchange of vows in front of a good number of witnesses and good friends.

Captain Teague was as straight to the point as she could ask for, and didn't even mention a thing about 'obeying,' a vow that I knew Anna would break in the blink of an eye. I had to grin as the Captain quickly pronounced Adam and Anna as man and wife, and applauded as Adam pressed a swift, passionate kiss to his bride's lips.

Watching the couple end their kiss and flee down the aisle, the crowd of attendants ushering them towards the suite of rooms that Adam had procured for them, I sighed. Holding my bouquet of flowers, I wistfully thought of a distant future where _I_ was at the altar, marrying the love of my life.

'_Oh, well_.'

Not wanting to be caught in the rush for the door, I waited for the way to clear before leaving. By then, the only ones here besides me were Jack, his father, and his father's crew. Glancing over my left shoulder, I gave Jack a timid smile, which he returned. I thought he was about to say something to me when Captain Teague said something that startled me.

"Alright, then, lads, close and lock those doors," he ordered, a pair of his men rushing to do so.

In the blink of an eye, we were locked inside, and I quickly began to panic. Glancing over at Jack, I saw how alarmed and confused he was –apparently, _he_ had no idea what was happening, either. I was considering the idea of bolting when I saw all of the old pirate men form a half-circle around us. They then reached inside their coats and each of them pulled out a pistol, all of which were swiftly aimed at myself and Jack.

"It might be best for you both to turn and face the Captain," one of the men said, motioning with his firearm.

"Aye, I would hate conducting a wedding ceremony to the back of the bride and groom," Captain Teague stated. "Now, turn around, and we can get started."

I turned to face him. "Wedding ceremony?" I gasped, feeling as though I hadn't heard him correctly.

That was when I realized what he had in mind. Panicked, I turned to someone I hoped would put a stop to this madness. As Jack's father's men pushed me closer to the altar and to Jack's side, I leaned towards him and hissed, "Jack, he's _your_ father! _Do_ something!"

The sound of a pistol being cocked sounded right above my left ear, causing me to turn and look straight town the weapon's barrel. At this point, I was ready to faint, but Jack slipped an arm around my waist, offering me support.

"I think it would be best if we did as Dad asked," he suggested, gently urging me to face forward.

I tried to protest, but was immediately silenced by the sound of several pistols being cocked all around us. Swallowing hard, I merely stood there, listening to Captain Teague conduct my wedding ceremony.

* * *

'_Honestly, why didn't __**I**__ think of this_?' Jack thought in wonder. It was a stroke of genius, and it ensured that he and Evie would be together forever. Leave it to good old Dad to think of something insane like a pistol point wedding!

With his arm wrapped around his bride's waist, Jack was forced to use all his will-power to keep a broad, excited grin from escaping. He was getting married to the woman he adored, and after today, he would do everything in his power to prove his love.

"So do you, Evie Watkins, take my son, Captain Jack Sparrow, to be your husband? For better or worse, for richer or poorer, till death do you part?"

Evie looked as though she were going to either refuse or be sick, but at the sound of a few men clearing their throats, she merely said, in a meek voice, "I do."

His dad then gave _him_ a look. "Well, Jackie? Do you take this woman as your wife, and promise to love, honor, cherish, and respect her for always?"

Did he even have to ask? "I do," Jack replied, without hesitation, earning him a knowing look from his father.

"Then I pronounce you Captain and Mrs. Jack Sparrow," Teague declared, smiling broadly. "Go ahead and kiss your wife, Jackie."

* * *

I barely had time to register Captain Teague's words before Jack's lips were pressed to mine. Oh, lord, they were so deliciously warm, soft and passionate that I never wanted it to end…

Then it was over, and Jack and I were escorted to a remote wing of the town, where all was quiet. We were then pushed into a room, and the door securely locked behind us. Looking around, I saw that it was an impressive suite: Jack and I currently stood in a large bedroom, with a doorway on the right leading to a bathing room, in which stood a large tub.

Slowly taking this in, I realized that I was now married to the man beside me, and that being my husband was probably the last thing in the world that Jack wanted. Swallowing hard, I turned and looked at him.

"Jack," I said, wringing my hands as I figured out what Captain Teague expected to occur, "We don't have to go further than this. If we don't consummate the marriage, it's not legal. We can still get a divorce."

I saw him frown at me, as though he couldn't believe what I had just suggested. Before I could ask what was wrong, he stepped forward and scooped me up in his arms, causing me to squeak in surprise.

"Darling," he said, "When it comes to us, a divorce is the _last_ thing I want."

Startled, I could only stare at him as he gently set me on the bed, a very naughty smirk on his face as he leaned in to kiss me.

* * *

AN: The next one will be a cross between a chapter and an epilogue. Thanks so much to everyone reading this story! Your support has been wonderful!

As for the next story I'll do: I'm doing another _**Pirates**_ fic, so keep an eye out for that. Again, thanks so much for reading, and stay tuned for the next (and final) part of this story!


	25. Epilogue

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I own nothing related to _**Pirates of the Caribbean**_. That belongs to Jerry Bruckheimer, Disney, and a bunch of other people. Only original characters and plotlines are mine.

AN: This is it – the end of the story! Thanks so much to everyone for reading and reviewing! My next story might not be up for a little while, as I feel that a break is needed. Keep a sharp eye out for it, though, in case I decide to post it early. Thanks again, and I hope to see you around soon!

**Epilogue:**

"I honestly don't think there's a more stubborn pair than us on the Island," Jack said as he caressed my hair, while the other hand trailing up and down my arm.

I giggled and gently traced a finger on the flower tattoo that was inscribed on his chest. "And I must honestly admit that I don't know as much about love as I thought I did," I replied, smiling softly. "I suppose my job as a matchmaker was mostly due to luck and good timing. I mean, I didn't find a single wife for any of the crew on my own; that was mostly due to luck and chance meetings between Penny, Selene, and Rosa with the men."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that, luv," Jack said as he pulled me closer so that my head, rather than being on his shoulder, now rested on his chest and was tucked neatly beneath his chin. "I can hardly blame you for that, since most of the men weren't really putting on an effort to get on your good side. Granted, they wanted wives in the first place, but if you don't know the person you're trying to find a bride for, you can't find someone who will fit them, savvy?"

I sighed. "Well, I suppose so, but-"

He gently shushed me. "I'm not finished. You have a knack for knowing good people, which is why you convinced me to allow three strange women onboard my ship –_that's_ something I wouldn't do for just anyone. True, you didn't match those women with a crewman, but you obviously thought they would at least "do" for someone onboard the Pearl."

He kissed my forehead. "And most surprising of all, you managed to get Anna-Maria, of all people, to take a shine to a lad! The fact that you were able to get her to act decently and spend time with him – _without_ killing him – is more than enough to convince me that you're a good judge of character. More so that some other people I know."

Smiling, I tilted my head and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Thank you, Jack," I whispered.

He grinned. "My pleasure, luv."

All was quiet for a few moments, and just as I was beginning to fall asleep, Jack spoke. "You _do_ know that I love you, don't you Evie? I mean, _really_ love you?"

He didn't give me a chance to reply. "I know I've been a bloody idiot," he admitted. "It's just…as a pirate, emotions and such just aren't the norm for us. Oh, we feel greed, jealousy, lust, and other things, but the good stuff, like love –well, that's an entirely different sea altogether.

"I'm usually not at a loss for words or courses of action, but when it comes to romance, I'm a fish out of water. I know that I blundered greatly when it came to my winning you over, so I solemnly swear right here and now that's going to change. What do you say, luv? Will you give me another chance?"

Smiling, I kissed him gently on the mouth, which quickly led to one thing after another…

* * *

A week later, we stood on the docks, fully prepared to set sail. The Pearl was stuffed to bursting with goods, everything from supplies to exotic objects to trade and barter with, and the crewmen were all onboard –minus the now pregnant Penny and Rosa, who stood waving at their husbands beside Selene, on the dock. The three of them would remain here and set up a nice place for any future brides that might be added to the bunch, and would remain here for a while, until their children were old enough to be taken onboard ship.

Anna-Maria, on the other hand, was onboard, with Adam working alongside her. Though she didn't know it, Gibbs and Rannoch had a secret running bet on how long it would be before she ended up joining their wives on Shipwreck Island. Thank goodness Anna didn't know, or they would be in for a world of pain.

"Now, Jackie, you come back soon for a visit, savvy?" Captain Teague was saying to my husband. "Your mum will want to meet your wife, and she'll never forgive you if you don't introduce them to one another."

"Aye, I promise," Jack said, looking uncomfortable as he spoke.

Biting back a sigh, I stepped forward and pressed a kiss to my father-in-law's cheek. "We both promise to come back and visit soon," I said, giving my husband a stern look. "Besides, I need to be back when my godchild is born."

Jack stared at me. "What do you mean_ godchild_? How could Selene decide that already? The babe isn't due for another four months, at least!"

"Can't over-plan for this kind of thing, Jackie," Captain Teague gently chided his son. "Someday, you and Evie will have to make that kind of choice, just so you know."

I couldn't help but blush as Jack developed a slow, sly grin. "Aye, I suppose you're right," Jack replied, looking over at me. "Well, my dear Mrs. Sparrow, it's time to cast off. Any last words you'd like to share with your friends or father-in-law before we leave?"

"No, I've gotten that all out of the way," I told him. "Besides, we'll be back soon, won't we? I'm sure you can't _wait_ to keep Gibbs calm when he has to come back for his own child's birth."

Teague sighed and gave me a farewell hug. "You shouldn't have said that, lass," he whispered teasingly into my ear. "If he thinks that keeping an expectant father company is nerve-wracking, he'll be in for it when his time comes."

Jack did indeed look worried as we pulled out to sea, his eyes focused on the horizon. It wasn't until we were a good distance away from Shipwreck that he called me to him at the helm, where he stood gripping the wheel with white-knuckled fingers.

"Jack, what's troubling you?" I softly asked him, moving to stand beside him. One of my hands reached out to gently touch one of his, an effort of mine to comfort and sooth him.

He sighed and removed his hand from mine, only to reach out and pull me against him. "Nothing, darling; just thinking about our future young ones, that's all."

Oh, that! "Well, it's nothing to look so solemn about," I teased, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "I'm sure we've a while before that happens. Just relax and focus on sailing the Pearl, hmm?"

The tension in his body seemed to drain out of him. "Of course, luv," he said, nodding in agreement. "You go have a talk with Anna about who is cooking dinner from now on. As much as I like Mr. Cotton, he's more useful at the helm than at the stove, and you've got more of Rosa's recipes memorized than anyone else."

Chuckling, I headed down below to the galley. There, Anna informed me that I was free to take over the cooking again, which I happily accepted.

As I put on a pot of water for boiling potatoes, I began rubbing my belly, wondering about the future.

'_Bah, let the future come_,' I chided myself. '_Right now, there's dinner to prepare_!'

* * *

"…and then they made me their chief," Jack said, finishing the story he was telling the little girl on his lap, who giggled.

"Tell it again, Dad!" she pleaded, eyes going wide as she begged.

"Not now, Maria," I said, stepping into the room I shared with my husband. "Why don't you go play with Grandpa Teague? Your dad and I have to have a talk about your eldest sister."

Maria pouted, but hopped off her father's knee. "Will Grandpa tell me his story about how he beat his enemies in Madagascar? I like that one."

I hid a smile. "Only if you ask very nicely and don't let your Grandma Lilly hear him telling it. You know she doesn't like you or your sisters to hear that story."

Cheered by this, she ran off, leaving me to deal with my husband, who was giving me a very close look. "Evie, _please_ don't tell me that Gibbs's boy has gone and asked for my Emily's hand. I won't stand for it if he has!"

Rolling my eyes, I took Maria's place on Jack's knee, my arms gently wrapping around his neck. "Jack, Emily's eighteen now," I reminded him, smiling at the memories of our long, nineteen year marriage. "Let her marry Carlos and settle down. It's what she wants, and I'm sure your mother will be thrilled at the prospect of more children to spoil. I don't think our twice-yearly visits to Shipwreck were enough to satisfy her in that prospect."

He scowled. "That was the whole point of those rare visits," he muttered. "The last thing I wanted was for one of my girls to fall victim to my mum's efforts at spoiling them –or worst of all, to one of Rosa's six boys! She should have gone and had two pairs of girls, like Selene, or one of each, like Penny."

"Or a mob of boys _and_ girls, like Anna?" I smiled as his hand drifted towards my belly. "Maybe this one will be the boy you want so much," I teased as the baby began to kick. "After five girls, I'm sure that this one will be the Heir to the Black Pearl."

Jack chuckled and shook his head. "I'm thinking that it'll be Maria who will take over the Pearl. She's got her dad's pirate spirit, and her mum's beauty. With those, she'll be nay unstoppable as a pirate woman!"

"Well, she takes after her godmother and namesake," I said, sharing a grin with him. "Now, are you going to go talk to Gibbs about Carlos and Emily getting married soon? Because I'd like to see her wed before I give her another younger sibling."

He sighed. "Alright, I'll talk to Gibbs about it. No doubt Rosa's already planning the wedding; that woman always seems to assume things will turn out the way she wants them to."

"In this case, she's right," I teased. "Now, I'm going to see how Amelia, Mary, and Grace are doing. Then I'll see to feeding our boy –he always seems to be hungry, and I've a craving for pickles."

Jack grinned. "And how do you know it's a boy?" he asked, though there was a hopeful gleam in his eyes.

I shrugged. "A mother knows these things sometimes," I replied mysteriously. "Now, off we go."

A few minutes later, I waddled into Teague's study (my children's favorite gathering place), and tried not to laugh out loud. My dear Amelia, who had just turned sixteen, was reading aloud to her sisters from a thick volume of pirate tales. The moment she saw me, however, her dark eyes lit up.

"Did you tell Papa about Carlos and Emily?" she asked nervously.

Taking a seat near the stove, I smiled. "You mean, have I _also_ told him about you and Joshua Gibbs?" I teased. "No, but I'm sure he'll find out soon. Just be prepared for any kind of battle that might break out. You're a bit young for marrying, so expect a long wait before your time."

Amelia shook her head in amusement. "It's your fault," she jokingly accused me. "You shouldn't have insisted that Carlos take Emily for all those walks on the beach, or that Joshua escort me on all my shopping trips into Shipwreck!"

Mary, Grace and Maria all looked at me. "Mama? Is Papa going to be angry that you're matchmaking?" ten-year-old Grace asked, looking worried.

I gave her a confident, assuring smile. "No, dear, of course not, sweetheart. It's just part of who I am and what I do."

* * *

AN: The end! Sorry, there will be no sequel, but I hope to see everyone (or at least some of you) at the next tale I spin on this website. Thanks so much for reading, and please don't forget to review!


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